Jessica Córes
Maria
Overview
When the progress of robotics makes Paralympic athletes the new sports stars, Maria dreams of competing against her sister. For that, she will have to enter a world of crime and violence.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Future Is a Starting Block
I’ve seen this trick before—the one where a film tries to outrun its own premise. A near-future setting, a body modified by technology, a sisterly rivalry that doubles as a metaphor for progress. Bionic wants to be Blade Runner meets Fast & Furious, but it moves like a sprinter who forgot to stretch. The CGI is slick, the ambition is real, and the performances from Jessica Córes and Gabz are the only things keeping the film from collapsing under the weight of its own genre baggage.
Still, I couldn’t look away. Maybe because I’ve spent too many afternoons watching Brazilian athletes leap and sprint on my screen, and the idea of them becoming cyborgs—of the Paralympics becoming the main event—feels like a future that’s already here, just unevenly distributed.
Afonso Poyart, the director, has said he wanted to make a film about the "ethics of human-tech integration," but Bionic is less interested in ethics than it is in adrenaline. The opening sequence drops us into a long-jump competition where Gabi (Gabz), Maria’s sister, soars through the air with legs that look like they were designed by a Formula 1 engineer. The crowd roars.
The camera lingers on the prosthetics—sleek, metallic, almost beautiful in their precision. Then it cuts to Maria, watching from the stands, her own legs unmodified, her face a mix of awe and resentment. It’s a strong image, the kind that should anchor the film.
But Bionic can’t decide if it wants to be a sports drama, a crime thriller, or a family melodrama, so it lurches between all three, like a runner changing lanes without signaling.
The film’s most compelling moments are the quiet ones. There’s a scene early on where Maria visits a black-market clinic, her hands trembling as she signs away her body for a chance to compete. The doctor, played by Bruno Gagliasso, is all smooth promises and oily charm.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsNetflix’s Bionic (2024): The Brazilian Sci-Fi Thriller Blending RoboCop and Alita Vibes
Netflix’s latest foray into sci-fi action, Bionic (original title: Biônicos), drops viewers into a near-future Brazil where robotics and crime collide. Directed by Afonso Poyart (2 Coelhos, Solace), the film stars Jessica Córes as Maria, a young athlete whose life takes a dramatic turn after a devastating accident. Selected for a clandestine government program, she becomes a bionic-enhanced competitor in a high-stakes world where Paralympic athletes are the new sports stars—and where ambition and violence go hand in hand.
But how did this ambitious project come together? Here’s what we know about the making of Bionic, its cast, and the buzz surrounding its release.
A Futuristic Tale with Brazilian Roots
Bionic isn’t just another sci-fi flick—it’s a Brazilian production that leans into the country’s growing reputation for genre filmmaking. The movie’s premise, as teased in snippets, blends elements of RoboCop and Alita: Battle Angel, with a focus on bioengineering and underground sports 
. Poyart, known for his stylish action-thrillers, grounds the film’s high-tech future in Maria’s personal struggle, making it as much about family and ambition as it is about flashy prosthetics .
The story follows Maria as she navigates a world where bionic enhancements are both a gift and a curse. After a severe accident, she’s recruited into a shadowy program that turns her into a top-tier athlete—but at a cost. The film’s central conflict revolves around her rivalry with her sister, adding emotional weight to the action-packed narrative 
.
The Cast: Rising Stars and Familiar Faces
Jessica Córes (3%, The Chosen One) leads the film as Maria, delivering a performance that critics have called "stellar" despite mixed reviews for the movie itself . Her co-stars include Gabz (Sintonia), Bruno Gagliasso (The Mechanism), and Christian Malheiros (Sintonia), bringing a mix of fresh talent and established names to the project.
- Gabz plays a key role, though details about their character remain scarce in the available snippets.
- Bruno Gagliasso, a veteran of Brazilian TV and film, likely adds gravitas to the supporting cast.
- Christian Malheiros, known for his role in Netflix’s Sintonia, continues his streak of high-profile projects.
The ensemble also includes Nill Marcondes, Guta Ruiz, Márcio Fecher, Miguel Nader, Nicole Cordery, and Danton Mello, though their specific roles haven’t been widely detailed in the snippets .
Behind the Scenes: A High-Octane Shoot with Challenges
While the snippets don’t dive deep into the film’s production, a few details stand out:
- Netflix’s Brazilian Push: Bionic is part of Netflix’s ongoing investment in Brazilian content, following hits like Sintonia and 3%. The streaming giant has been ramping up its local productions, and Bionic fits neatly into its sci-fi and action slate .
- Afonso Poyart’s Vision: The director, known for his visually striking films, reportedly aimed to blend RoboCop’s grit with Alita’s emotional core. Whether he succeeded is up for debate—critics are divided on the film’s pacing and plot cohesion .
- Mixed Reviews: Early reactions suggest Bionic struggles to balance its multiple genres. Some praise its heartfelt story and Córes’ performance, while others call it "slow-paced" and "flawed" . The film’s R rating hints at intense action and violence, but whether it delivers remains a point of contention .
**What’s Next for Bionic?**
With Bionic now streaming on Netflix, its fate rests in the hands of audiences. The film’s premise—bionic athletes, underground crime, and familial rivalry—has potential, but its execution has left critics lukewarm. If it finds an audience, it could pave the way for more Brazilian sci-fi on the global stage. For now, it’s a bold experiment in genre filmmaking, even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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