Diego Luna Shines in Hulu's First Spanish-Language Series, La Maquina

Epic Journey in La Maquina

In the opening moments of La Maquina, Hulu's new six-episode boxing drama that marks its first-ever Spanish-language series, a Botoxed, spray-tanned manager played by Diego Luna is scolding an assistant for bringing him the wrong drink. The assistant, it turns out, couldn’t locate the correct brand of refreshment -- a minor slight, you would think, but one that nevertheless causes Luna's character, Andy, to have an impromptu meltdown. This isn’t a game, Andy growls at the underling, as they head into a Las Vegas arena where a fight night is underway.

The Intricacies of Boxing

Andy is an impresario type who's imparting a lesson about boxing -- about the importance of the combatants in the ring, but also the myriad intricacies, superstitions, and shadowy players that can influence the outcome. And yes, even something as prosaic as the right drink. In this case, the aging boxer who Andy works for, nicknamed La Maquina (The Machine), has a superstition that involves consuming a specific drink brand before every fight. But now, there's no time. Andy scratches the label off of this one. A drink is a drink, right? The boxer, of course, notices -- and soon enough, we catch up with him laid out in the back of an ambulance. Superstition confirmed.

Friendship and Loyalty

The plot of La Maquina is quite straightforward: Gael García Bernal, Luna's real-life friend since birth, plays Esteban, the boxer. Meanwhile, Luna is his plastic surgery-obsessed manager and best friend. Esteban, getting older, believes he has one more fight left in him. It’s actually Andy who decides that for him, determined to get his friend back on top. However, the catch is that Andy has a history of working with shady characters to fix fights, including those involving Esteban. Now, the piper must be paid.