La Máquina
La Máquina
Now Showing

La Máquina

"Winning has a price."

6.7
Yr 2024
Status Ended
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

After a devastating loss, Esteban “La Máquina” Osuna is at a low point in his boxing career. Lucky for him, his manager and best friend Andy Lujan is determined to get him back on top. But when a nefarious organization rears its head, the stakes of this rematch become life or death. Esteban must juggle his own personal demons and protect his family.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 72 /100

La Máquina received generally positive, though occasionally mixed, reviews from critics. Many praised the central dynamic and star power of longtime collaborators Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, noting that their chemistry elevates the material. Instead of delivering a straightforward sports comeback story, reviewers observed that the series leans into a stylish, loopy blend of conspiratorial thriller, dark comedy, and claustrophobic drama, offering a refreshing departure from typical boxing tropes.

However, several critics felt the narrative became overly crowded and frantic. The show was described by some as juggling too many characters, subplots, and tonal shifts at once, leading to a narrative that occasionally felt choppy or unfocused. While many appreciated its boundless energy and campy flair, critics from outlets like The Guardian and Observer argued that the series struggled to sustain its momentum and threw several narrative punches that failed to connect.

“the show is all campy darkness that frankly delights”

“it can be quite beautiful, real, moving and delightful”

“a unique boxing drama with style to spare”

“throws a lot of punches that don’t land”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

Hulu
US
Disney Plus
CA • UK
Why fans love it

The 2024 miniseries La Máquina moves between sharp comedy and heavy drama while tracking the decline of a professional boxer. It focuses on the volatile dynamic between an athlete facing a career collapse and the manager who refuses to let him retire. The narrative centers on a high-stakes rematch that transforms into a struggle for survival, shifting the tone from the confines of the ring to a wider, more dangerous underworld.

Gael García Bernal grounds the production as the titular character, turning the exhaustion of a waning sporting icon into a portrait of someone fighting beyond the final bell. The tension relies less on the mechanics of the sport and more on the chaotic influence of a nefarious organization. By balancing the absurdity of a desperate comeback with the gravity of familial peril, the show avoids standard tropes of the genre.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 73
Regulars 14
Longest run 6 eps
Show 65 more
Mercito Gesta as Protasio 1 episode Leandro Firmino as Joao Falcao Jr. 1 episode Francisco Barreiro as Gato Osuna 5 episodes Marlon Gurespe as Protasio Announcer (voice) 1 episode Mateo Ortega Casillas as Pablo 5 episodes Roberto Duarte as Sammy Salgado 3 episodes Juan Carlos Huguenin as Memo de la Peña 3 episodes Arturo Beristáin as Hernán Pérez-Padilla 2 episodes Fermín Martínez as Old Boxing Commissioner 1 episode Nadia Vega as Gabby 2 episodes Mónica Alfaro as Lenora 2 episodes Pedro Martín Gurza as Advertising Chief Executive 1 episode Carlo Basabe as Advertising Young Executive 1 episode Daniel Sosa as Advertising Old Executive 1 episode Luis Fernando Zarate as Doctor 1 episode Tim Ross as Famould Old Guy 1 episode Manuel Carrillo as Janitor 1 episode Saturnino Martínez as Businessman #1 2 episodes Daniel Ledesma as Businessman #2 2 episodes Mauricio Pimentel as Weigh-In Official 1 episode Bruce Chang as Press Protasio 1 episode Eduardo Ramirez as Mexican Cook 1 episode Charly Box as Corner La Máquina Charly 3 episodes Laura di Luca as Famous Foreign Woman 1 episode José Luis Zaragoza as Cutman La Máquina 2 episodes Canek Enriquez as VIP Guest 1 episode Héctor Dávila as Mysterious Voice (voice) 4 episodes Dariam Coco as Zamira 1 episode Jorge Zárate as Manager Chiquita Morales 1 episode Leonardo Cervantes as Esti Jr. 5 episodes Marco Antonio Argueta as Chiquita Morales 1 episode Gloria Izaguirre as Chain Smoking Woman 2 episodes Héctor Molina as Irasema's Driver (Manu) 1 episode David Liles Aripez as Elegant Waiter 1 episode Sebastián de Oteyza as Elite Restaurant Fan 1 episode Alejandro Belmonte as Toques Guy 1 episode Amalia Rangel as Chiquita Morales' Nurse 1 episode Sergio Caro-Cotte as Car Wash Manager 2 episodes Rodrigo Jaguar Mejia as Jaguar 1 episode Romina Alexandra as Verito 1 episode Gerardo Gatica as Caicedo 1 episode Alberto Amador as Irasema's Father's Voice (voice) 1 episode Héctor Conde Porras as Sports Commentator 1 episode Humberto Basáñez Ojeda as Sports Commentator 1 episode Raúl Briones as Juan Carlos 3 episodes Roxana Saucedo as Esteban's Accountant 1 episode Reina Zapien Ornelas as Spa Esthetician 1 episode Yamile Pando as Intern 1 episode Manuel Calderón as TV Producer 1 episode Sandra Quiróz as Dr. Liu 1 episode Juan Carlos Saenz as Jail Police 1 episode Jhony as Drunk Man #1 1 episode Memo Treistman as Jewish Father 1 episode Franco Meneses as Kid Andy 2 episodes Alicia Camps as Funeral Director 1 episode Álvaro Guerrero as Gato Osuna Old 1 episode Alberto Trujillo as Jalisco Policeman #1 1 episode Alfonso Bravo as La Fonda Announcer 1 episode Aaron Aguilar as Hugo Bear Man 1 episode Christopher Evangelou as Harry Felix 1 episode David Diamante as David Diamante 1 episode Stephen A. Smith as Stephen A. Smith 1 episode Fernando Ransom as Harry Felix Interviewer 1 episode Gustavo Melgarejo as Taco Vendor 1 episode Gelacio Pérez as Harry Felix Referee 1 episode
Signal Match

Similarity

Where La Máquina overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

boxer miniseries
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
October 09, 2024
Status
Ended
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
38