Flamin' Hot review: A spicy take on the American Dream 

Flamin' Hot finally hit Disney+ on Friday, June 9, and first and foremost, it's slightly surprising to see Eva Longoria credited as its director. Best known for playing Gabrielle Solis on the hit ABC drama Desperate Housewives, Flamin' Hot is her film directorial debut. It's safe to say that the 48-year-old has not forgotten her roots as this heartwarming biopic is a beautiful tribute to the Mexican community residing in the USA.

Flamin' Hot is the story of Richard Montañez, the man who claimed to have invented one of America's most popular munchies, Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The film stars Jesse Garcia as Montañez, Annie Gonzalez as Judy Montañez, Dennis Haysbert as Clarence C. Bake, Tony Shalhoub as Roger Enrico, Emilio Rivera as Vacho Montañez and several others.

The official synopsis of the film reads as:

"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 disrupted the food industry and became a global pop culture phenomenon"

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Flamin' Hot review: Richard Montañez's "supposedly real" story hits the spot

Richard Montañez's story of being the mastermind behind Flamin' Hot Cheetos has often been a subject of debate. While he has described his entire journey from rags to riches in his memoir, A Boy, a Burrito and a Cookie: From Janitor to Executive, it is not entirely confirmed if this story is real.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the crunchy corn puff snack hit markets months before Richard's claims. However, the latter was adamant about his story. In a previous statement to media outlets, he stated:

"In that era, Frito-Lay had five divisions. I don’t know what the other parts of the country, the other divisions — I don’t know what they were doing."

He continued:

"I’m not even going to try to dispute that lady, because I don’t know. All I can tell you is what I did. All I have is my history, what I did in my kitchen."

Nevertheless, it's better to focus on the film instead of the real story as Flamin' Hot is undoubtedly one of the best biopics made in recent years. For years, people have been throwing around the term "American Dream" without really understanding the true sentiment behind these two words. Protagonist Richard Montañez exemplified this term with courage, elegance, and sheer hard work.

The life of a Mexican-American is not a walk in the park as like most, Montañez too was a victim of heavy racism while growing up. As an adult, things got better for him when he secured a job as a janitor in the billion-dollar packaged snacks company Frito-Lay. But this was just the start of his story as he had no clue what he was going to achieve in the future.

Flamin' Hot is a brilliant rags-to-riches film. The efforts filmmakers have put in are clearly noticeable as there is hardly any flaw during its entire runtime.

The casting choice is perfect as Jesse Garcia's portrayal of the protagonist is convincing and captivating. The direction, screenplay, writing, and music are completely in synch which offers fans a very entertaining final result. There is also a heavy emphasis on Mexican culture and old-school family values, with the dynamic relationship between Montañez and his wife and children.

Flamin' Hot is a spectacular display of hard work, determination and a never give up attitude. It's certainly worth your time and even deserves rewatches.