“Flamin’ Hot,” like other films from the brand, isn’t strictly a biopic, but it sure looks like one judging by the trailer. We even get one of those cliché scenes where the lead, in this case Jesse Garcia as Richard Montañez, is suddenly inspired to make history and create what will forever change his life. The whole thing gives off strong “Bohemian Rhapsody” vibes (and I don’t mean that in a good way).
Still, early critical word of mouth is decent after the film opened at South by Southwest in March, with “Flamin’ Hot” scoring a 72 percent Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. Notably, however, /Film’s Jacob Hall was one of the film’s early detractors, describing it in his review as “a broad, cheesy collection of clichés that pauses every five minutes for a new speech from a new character who explains why this unlikely story is very important.” Between Jacob’s criticism and the trailer, I’m not exactly heartened, but I reserve the right to change my tune once I’ve seen this for myself.
Joining Garcia in the cast of “Flamin’ Hot” include Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, Emilio Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Matt Walsh, Pepe Serna, Bobby Soto, Jimmy Gonzales, Brice Gonzalez, Vanessa Martinez, Fabian Alomar , Mario Ponce and Hunter Jones. The film will arrive on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9, 2023. Its synopsis reads as follows:
FLAMIN’ HOT is the inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), the Frito Lay janitor who channeled his Mexican-American heritage and upbringing to turn the iconic Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that revolutionized the food industry and became a culture. world pop. freak.