Flamin’ Hot

NOW ON HULU! Cheese curls are on fire in Flamin’ Hot, the explosive feature film debut by director Eva Longoria. Adapted by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chavez from Richard Monteanez’s autobiography, the film lays out the legend of where that bright red hot coating that rules the snack food world came from. After surviving constant childhood beatings from his drunk father (Emilio Rivera), Richard (Jesse Garcia) is caught in the mosh of selling drugs on the street to get by. His wife, Judy (Annie Gonzalez), is also in deep, and both need to get it together.

“…Richard notices how much hot sauce and spices all the Mexican-Americans were covering their munchies with.”

Richard convinces Lonny (Matt Walsh) to give him a break and gets hired as a janitor at a Frito-Lay plant. There, he befriends head machinist Clarence (Dennis Haysbert), hoping to get the knowledge to move up. Then the economic whiplash of the 1980s occurred, and Richard holds on to his broom for dear life against the waves of layoffs. By the early 90s, he still has dreams in his head but a broom in his hands.

Then one day in the park, eating elote with his kids, Richard notices how much hot sauce and spices all the Mexican-Americans were covering their munchies with. He has a vision and starts working with Judy to perfect a flavor powder that would be hot and yummy enough to make their palates dance. When he finds the perfect pitch of spice, he uses the janitor room’s phone to call Roger Enrico (Tony Shalhoub), the CEO of PepsiCo, Frito Lay’s parent company. Richard lets Roger know there is a vast untapped Hispanic market out there, and Richard has just the flavor that the snack giant could tap it with.