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Flamin' Hot

Flamin' Hot

2023

Eva Longoria

Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Tony Shalhoub, Dennis Haysbert ...

6.1

1,391

Drama. Comedy The story of Richard Montañez, the janitor who invented Flamin' Hot Cheetos.

	Media	Author	Review
		Peter Debruge Variety	"Eva Longoria’s motivational debut (...) [It] may commemorate a junk-food revolution, but the film has real substance"
		Jessi Cape Austin Chronicle	"'Flamin' Hot' is both a success story and love story. It's about a devoted husband and wife, an ode to the vibrant richness of Chicano culture, and a great example of much-needed representation in film"
		Tim Grierson Screendaily	"[It] is a breezy affair accented by Jesse Garcia’s winning performance as the budding Mexican-American entrepreneur, but this underdog tale ultimately proves to be too unremarkable to generate much heat"
		Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter	"A charming Cheetos flavor origin story"
		Jacob Hall SlashFilm	"A broad, hokey collection of cliches that pauses every five minutes for a new speech from a new character who lays out why this unlikely story is so important"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"[It] could be a sleeper hit, not just in the Latino community it is about, but to everyone who likes a good, old-fashioned, feel-good story about someone who succeeds against all odds"
		Martin Tsai AV Club	"A tasty origin story"
		Michael O'Sullivan The Washington Post	"A cheesy comedy inspired by the story of the invention of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Whether or not the legend of a janitor inventing the spicy snack is true (and it probably isn’t), the film treatment definitely doesn’t satisfy (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		Alex Maidy JoBlo	"This story works better than I had thought it could have, but it needed a little more intensity"
		Adam Mullins-Khatib Chicago Reader	"Despite the spicy subject matter, 'Flamin’ Hot' is a run-of-the-mill biopic"
		Kate Erbland IndieWire	"It’s entertaining enough, but this is a story that doesn’t feel real, mostly because it isn’t"
		Monica Castillo rogerebert.com	"Even then, I still struggle with the lingering aftertaste of its half-true/not-at-all-true fable about the American success story (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 4)"
		John Nugent Empire	"The story of how Flamin’ Hot Cheetos came to exist barely demands to be told (if it is even true). But like all good junk food, there are still some guilty pleasures to be had here (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Edward Porter The Times	"Even for a junk-food movie, it’s corny and insubstantial (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Abby Olcese Paste Magazine	"[It] is based on a lie, but its emotional core is honest"
		Ross McIndoe Slant	"[It] is simply a 99-minute commercial for the Frito-Lay corporation (...) Rating: ★½ (out of 4)"
		Carlos Aguilar Los Angeles Times	"[It] entertainingly prints the legend"
		Matthew Monagle The Playlist	"You may doubt its accuracy, but the message will resonate, and that is a far more interesting conversation than how closely 'Flamin’ Hot' matches the Montañez Wikipedia"
		Brian Tallerico rogerebert.com	"It makes for a film that doesn't seem to tell a true story as much as one that came off a product line from a Frito-Lay factory"
		Lex Briscuso The Wrap	"Eva Longoria directs strong story about cheeto inventor (...) The film captures the look, feeling and taste of the ’70s and ’80s"
		John Fink The Film Stage	"It's smart enough to avoid the dull tropes of films about the inner workings of a business, as Montañez provides enlightening insights into his community"
		Rafael Motamayor IGN	"It is a charming and funny rags-to-riches story with a strong cast, some clever editing, and good use of narration"
		Mae Abdulbaki Screen Rant	"Anchored by a fabulous cast, Longoria spins an inspirational tale that is full of heart and humor (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut	"A Chicano-infused love letter to the dreamers, the hustlers, and all-around overachievers who never quit. (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)"
		Benjamin Lee The Guardian	"For a film all about the importance of heat, it's frankly lukewarm (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"

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