Max has released the first trailer for “The Sympathizer.” The series follows a nameless Vietnamese refugee living in America, where he continues to spy and report back to the Viet Cong secretly.
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, “The Sympathizer” is described as an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over.
Hoa Xuande stars as the nameless character often referred to as “The Captain.” Though the trailer is short, it provides ample exposition and details about The Captain’s struggles acclimating to his new environment while also struggling with his identity living as a half-French, half-Vietnamese. As such, the governments he works for and has infiltrated question his loyalities, and the talent to play both sides grows increasingly difficult.
So it is understandable why the tagline for “The Sympathizer” is What are you concealing?
And the trailer teases “The Sympathizer,” venturing into a psychological bender territory by having Robert Downey Jr. play not one, not two, but at least three different characters. It will make us question whether or not we can trust any of these characters, and it is a riveting way to approach the storytelling that will surely keep us fully engaged.
“The Sympathizer” also stars Sandra Oh, Robert Downey Jr., and more, with fantastic Vietnamese representation and cultural touch points throughout the series.
Park Chan-wook directs the first three episodes of this seven-episode miniseries. Chan-wook’s credits include “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden,” and “Decision to Leave”. Fernando Meirelles and Marc Munden are directing the remaining episodes. “The Sympathizer” is scheduled to make its streaming debut exclusively on Max on April 14, 2024.
