New spy series starring Robert Downey Jr. 'The Sympathizer': first reviews and high praise on Rotten Tomatoes

The new series from the director of "Oldboy", Park Chan-wook, "The Sympathiser", has captivated both critics and viewers as soon as it appeared on the screens.

Here's What We Know

The series starring Hoa Xuande and Robert Downey Jr. has already earned a 90% "freshness" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and reviews from critics seem quite intriguing:

Inverse stated that the director created"Park Chan-wook helms a twisty, stylish, and darkly thrilling seven-episode adaptation for HBO and A24, one that feels like a jolt of electricity to a genre you didn’t know needed it"

Consequence called "The Sympathiser" a truly transformative series that keeps the viewer wondering for a very long time, and RogerEbert.com wrote: "Park Chan-wook’s direction of the first three episodes is among his finest work".

Series Overview

The series is about The Captain, a North Vietnamese spy who infiltrates the South Vietnamese army. During the final years of the Vietnam War, the Captain escapes to the United States and continues his spying activities, providing information about South Vietnam and the Viet Cong, but he faces an internal conflict between his original beliefs and his new life.

Downey Jr. plays several antagonist roles at once: Claude, a CIA agent who takes the Captain under his wing, Nico, a documentary filmmaker inspired by Francis Ford Coppola, and Ned Godwin, a Southern California congressman seeking to recruit Vietnamese Americans.

The mini-series premiered on HBO and streaming service Max on 14 April 2024. The episodes will be released weekly.

Source: Games Radar