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Limited Series – The Sympathizer

Play trailer 2:12 Poster for Limited Series – The Sympathizer Apr 2024 Drama History War Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 73 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Near the end of the Vietnam War, a spy who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to gather intelligence and report back to the Viet Cong.
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The Sympathizer — Limited Series

The Sympathizer — Limited Series

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Critics Consensus

The Sympathizer does a solidly satisfying job of adapting its ambitious source material, conveying its core themes even as it occasionally struggles with its structure.

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Critics Reviews

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Camilla Long The Times (UK) Jun 3, 2024
Once I’d got the hang of it, though — it probably helps to have read the original book by Viet Thanh Nguyen — it gripped me. A seriously gorgeous, intelligent, complex show. Go to Full Review Hugo Rifkind The Times (UK) May 31, 2024
I wouldn’t call it bad. But it’s uneven as hell. Go to Full Review Rebecca Nicholson Guardian May 29, 2024
4/5
The Sympathizer is exciting, meaty and a reminder that drama that demands your full and complete attention can be well worth the effort. Go to Full Review Jen Shieff New Zealand Herald Jan 9, 2025
It’s a well-paced drama with terrific cinematography, a clever spin on the conventional history of the Vietnam war. Go to Full Review Hayley Croke Loud and Clear Reviews Oct 20, 2024
3/5
The Sympathizer achieves what seems to be its main mission of creating a thrilling and interesting story about the Vietnam War from the perspective of nuanced and complex Vietnamese characters. As a thriller, it does not go above and beyond in any aspect. Go to Full Review Miles Surrey The Ringer Jul 23, 2024
The Captain might struggle to come to terms with who he really is, but under Park's dynamic direction, the same can't be said for The Sympathizer: a winning synthesis of style and substance. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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M G @justm Apr 30, 2026 Strong opening episode and interesting story idea. But after struggling through the slow pace of episodes 2 & 3, I gave up. See more 아파라트 H @RT52842644 Oct 20, 2025 It's interesting and funny, which makes it even more tragic. See more Avindu G @RT86379654 Sep 13, 2025 Freedom won is not utopian as the righteous revolution against the invasion. Narrative on the central character evolve decisively as the story progress and the final conclusion is unbiasedly agreeable. Excellent storytelling. A highly talented cast. A cleverly directed and a well written story. It's unapologetic to the self-righteous crusades of neocolonials. Beyond the obvious casualties of Vietnam war, The Sympathizer manages to tell the story of the ones left undead and their trek up the trails of life as refugees. See more Greg K @GregZ Feb 27, 2025 Not your everyday Vietnam depiction. Very effective in showing that both sides are twisted. See more Michele M @RT51308584 Feb 18, 2025 It's smart, moving, informative, and isn't afraid to use derision to make certain political points about American involvement in the Vietnam war. Hoa Xuande is great and I hope to see him in more good shows like this one. I look forward to reading the book! See more Mike T. J @RT79709703 Feb 17, 2025 It's not perfect, but my enjoyment of it was. I'm not a big fan of the limited series format, but this was a material use of it. Incredible cast, great production, I was a bit annoyed by the non linear storytelling despite the very linear premise of the book, but whatever. It's too good to get hung up on something like that See more Read all reviews
The Sympathizer — Limited Series

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Park Chan-wook

Creator

Don McKellar

Creator

Robert Downey Jr.

Claude

Hoa Xuande

The Captain

Scott Ly

Hefty Gunner Dao

Fred Nguyen Khan

Bon

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Apr 14, 2024 Death Wish A communist party mole, the captain juggles the demands of his South Vietnam Army boss, the general, and his CIA handler, Claude; with the fall of Saigon imminent, the captain must round up a list of evacuees for a flight to the U.S. Details Episode 2 Aired Apr 14, 2024 Good Little Asian The Captain and his fellow Vietnamese refugees attempt to settle into life in Los Angeles; the defeated General grows suspicious and demands the Captain locate a mole he believes has infiltrated their ranks; as the Captain narrows in on a target, he reconnects with his former teacher, Professor Hammer, and meets his beguiling assistant, Ms. Mori. Details Episode 3 Aired Apr 28, 2024 Love It or Leave It With the General's order to eliminate the spy in their ranks weighing on him, the Captain seeks Bon's help to craft and execute a plan timed for Independence Day; at an upscale lunch, Claude introduces the Captain to the Auteur. Details Episode 4 Aired May 5, 2024 Give Us Some Good Lines The Captain, a North Vietnamese spy, navigates the challenges of living a double life as he begins to sympathize with a community of South Vietnamese refugees in the US. Details Episode 5 Aired May 12, 2024 All for One After a lengthy hospital stay, the Captain finds his life in disarray; Lana is working a new gig away from her parents; Ms. Mori is romantically involved with a familiar face; the General has concocted a plan to reclaim his homeland. Details Episode 6 Aired May 19, 2024 The Oriental Mode of Destruction Convinced that the General's plan is doomed to fail, the captain's mission is to trace the General's funding, his desperation grows as he searches for ways to expose the military operation and to achieve his ultimate goal, to save Bon. Details Episode 7 Aired May 26, 2024 Endings Are Hard, Aren't They? Before sending them into Vietnam, Claude treats the squad to a night out in Thailand and reveals some terrifying intelligence to the Captain; the Captain finds himself in a reeducation camp, forced to confront the decisions that haunt his past. Details

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The Sympathizer — Limited Series

The Sympathizer: Limited Series Trailer The Sympathizer: Limited Series Trailer 2:12 Now Playing The Sympathizer: Limited Series Teaser The Sympathizer: Limited Series Teaser 2:15 Now Playing The Sympathizer: Limited Series Teaser 2 The Sympathizer: Limited Series Teaser 2 2:35 Now Playing View more videos
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The Sympathizer — Limited Series

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Season Info

Director
Marc Munden, Park Chan-wook
Creator
Park Chan-wook, Don McKellar
Executive Producer
Jisun Back, Amanda Burrell, Park Chan-wook, Robert Downey Jr., Niv Fichman, Kim Ly, Don McKellar, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Mark Richard, Ron Schmidt, Susan Downey
Screenwriter
Don McKellar, Naomi Iizuka
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama, History, War
Original Language
English
Release Date
Apr 14, 2024
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