Bionico’s Bachata, a mockumentary from Yoel Morales, is a ride but it does have its moments when it breathes. Its protagonist (Manuel Raposo) takes a boat ride near the shores of his country, the Dominican Republic, deep in thought. He’s thinking about the ultimatum of his girlfriend, La Flaca (Ana Minier), herself in a facility to get off drugs. We see her through their TikToks as well as hear her through phone conversations, excited about leaving rehab soon. She tells him that she wants him clean which is harder for him because of the kind of company he keeps.

Bionico’s best friend Calvita (El Napo), is deeper into drugs but the latter understands the former’s need to be clean. Calvita takes him to ‘condo viewings’ – La Flaca wants one – and to community organisations that try to sober men up. Since both outings are a wash, Bionico’s Bachata shows the protagonist and Calvita’s last ditch efforts for recovery money. They steal a kilo of cocaine and sell it to La Diva (Barbara Plaza), someone who works for the government. La Diva is just one of the zany characters in a tragicomedy where people do their best despite their addiction issues.

Through Bionico’s Bacahta, Morales, serving as both co-writer and director, shows himself as an agile director, giving his characters life. Viewers can see the same agility with Raposo who, as Bionico, navigates spaces where he may or may not belong. Many scenes show, respectfully, that neuro atypicals, especially people who have addiction issues, still face biases even under ‘objective’ perspectives. The film also shows a dynamic between Bionico and the ‘documentarians’, calling out some documentaries, unable to help their subjects. Fourth wall breaks are often dicey, but it helps us empathise with complex characters that society, unfortunately, prefers to disregard.