Flamin' Hot is Inspiring Tale of Richard Monteñez and Billion Dollar

In anticipation of this release, yours truly grabbed a bag of Flamin’ Hot Doritos to prepare for this review. I literally couldn’t eat more than three and the fire lingered many moments after my last bite. So, it suffices to say that this product lives up to its title and then some.

Based on his second memoir, “Flamin’ Hot: The Incredible True Story of One Man’s Rise from Janitor to Top Executive,” Flamin’ Hot chronicles the rise of Mexican-American born Richard P. Montañez from a janitor to Frito Lay executive (subsidiary of PepsiCo) making him a millionaire and the product into a billion dollar brand. Even though a recently published Los Angeles Times piece contests Montañez’s solo credit for the fiery snack, Searchlight Pictures teamed up with director Eva Longoria bringing this inspirational tale to Hulu.

Montañez, a sixth grade dropout, was on a path that parents dread for their children when he fell in love with Judy (Annie Gonazlez) and made the conscious decision to provide for his family instead of the streets. After witnessing a corporate video from brand new PepsiCo President Roger Enrico, Richard had what Oprah would call a “Aha moment.”

Enrico wisely encouraged that “every person can be the difference between success and failure…think like a CEO.” Being poor, hungry and determined, Montañez and family worked tirelessly developing a fiery red hot dust that burns good slathered all over Frito Lay snacks making them irresistible for customers to leave on grocery shelves.

All the performances are noteworthy, but it is Jesse Garcia and Gonzalez that carry this film across the finish line with flying colors. Their unbridled and energetic presence make you fall in love and root for Judy and Richard even though you know how the story ends. Director Eva Longoria effectively speeds through many chapters in order to spend most of the film’s time determining what made this man tick and what pushed his drive to make his American dream come true.

Dubbed as the “Godfather of Marketing,” Richard Montañez worked at Frito-Lay for 42 years before retiring in 2019. It’s os incredibly satisfying to see more stories like this hit the masses, so that every human being with a dream can be reminded that we all write own stories and destinies. Make yours count and don’t let anyone of anything tell you NO!

Flamin’ Hot is more than a food product. It’s about family, determination, drive, and how one person can make a difference for themselves and others.