THE SYMPATHIZER -- A Cinematic Spy Series Worth Your Time

Review by Jonathan Berk

Few stories are as black and white as they may initially seem. It would be convenient for life to remove all the gray areas and make things simply “wrong” or “right.” Many out there would paint the picture of such simple thinking on far more complex issues; they would much rather say in this war, those are the bad guys, and those are the good guys. The Sympathizer — a new HBO miniseries — grapples with the realities of the complexity of life. ​
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Hoa Xuande plays The Captain of the South Vietnamese secret police during the Vietnam War, but he is also a spy for North Vietnam. As the war nears its end, he is told to stay undercover and flee to the United States. There, he takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to secretly spy and report back to the Viet Cong while trying to maintain his cover.​

Xuande gives an incredible performance in this series. His character is complex, and the series explores this duality through various aspects. It is pointed out early in the show that his character is a “half-breed” and seems not to have a true “home.” This factors into his being a spy split between his allegiances. Then, there are his relationships, which often have this layer of duplicity to them as well. Xuande’s performance reflects the struggles his character is going through in all of these moments. He can’t be easily placed in a category of good or bad. This is a theme that’s explored throughout the show, but it is centered on this character.​

Of course, the real reason many people will come to this show is the draw of Robert Downey, Jr. He’s playing a few different characters, each with very distinctive looks and qualities. As we have come to expect, the performance given by this man is incredible. Despite the, at times, very serious subject matter, there is a quirky sense of humor undercutting the tension throughout the series. RDJ is often providing that humor and seems to be having a great time with it. 

The cast as a whole is pretty incredible throughout the episodes: Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Scott Ly, and Sandra Oh, to name just a few. Of course, all of the characters center around The Captain as he tells his story from a prison. 

The show jumps through time quite frequently, starting a few years after the fall of Saigon with The Captain locked up and being forced to tell his story. It jumps to the days before the fall of Saigon, to the early moments of the war, and even to the Captain’s childhood. All of these timelines weave in and out over the seven-episode season. It keeps the show moving and builds a bit of mystery to The Captain’s character. 

The sheer number of sets and costumes, as a result of the many time changes, make the show an impressive production. Episode 4 especially will appeal to film fans, as it leans into some meta-commentary. Every episode has some interesting costuming that aids in the storytelling and the characters. Of course, this is the most prominent feature of RDJ’s characters, as his costumes are quite unique. 

The Sympathizer has a great pedigree behind the camera, with Park Chan-wook having directed three episodes and Marc Munden and Fernando Meirelles covering the other four. It’s a prime example of the “prestige” TV movement. The finale is mostly satisfying, even though it doesn’t quite resolve everything.

The Sympathizer will be on HBO on April 14 at 9pm ET/PT, with new episodes debuting subsequent Sundays. All seven episodes reviewed.

Rating: 4/5