When A24 announced in April 2021 that they were producing an adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel “The Sympathizer” with Park Chan-wook directing, his fans eagerly awaited its release. After less than a week in Max’s catalog, the drama production quickly rose to the #3 spot worldwide, according to FlixPatrol statistics.
It’s a limited mini-series, and what’s even more impressive about its ranking achievement is that it only has one episode available for viewing. Nguyen’s story is so powerful that it has already managed to captivate the platform’s viewers with just its beginning.
The plot revolves around the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the Vietnam War, and his following life as a refugee in Los Angeles. There, he spies on the South Vietnamese community in which he is inserted, torn between his heritage and his duty.
Robert Downey Jr. ‘The Sympathizer’ became the #3 most-watched series on Max
The fact that “The Sympathizer” ranks as the third most-watched series on Max can be credited to the renown of the novel’s author and its director. Nevertheless, Robert Downey Jr.’s involvement in the project also significantly contributes to its success.
Since the “Iron Man” actor decided to focus his career on complex roles, the film industry’s reception seems to support him more than ever. Undoubtedly, the Oscar he won for his portrayal of Levi Strauss in “Oppenheimer” made him even more beloved than he already was.
In Park Chan-wook series, Robert portrays perhaps the most complex role of his career. He plays four different characters: one a CIA agent, an amateur film director based on Francis Ford Coppola, a grad school professor, and a Congressman.
While his acting is noteworthy, he never overshadows the rest of the cast, which includes outstanding performances from Hoa Xuande, Toan Le, Fred Nguyen Khan, and Sandra Oh, among others.
Is ‘The Sympathizer’ based on a true story?
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s narrative is so raw that many wondered if the story of “The Sympathizer” was based on real events. According to Esquire, the author’s inspiration was a man named Pham Xuan An, a North Vietnamese spy who wrote in the most prominent media outlets in the United States, without his coworkers knowing his true identity.
At the same time, the mini-series possesses a contradiction because it attempts to shed light on all the identities that were hidden during the Vietnam War. It is based on the real lives of people who kept their existences secret.
In summary, the novel draws loose inspiration from the life of Pham Xuan An and the spies of the Vietnam conflict to create an alternate narrative. This can be seen in the main character, The Captain, whose nickname disguises all those split identities.
‘The Sympathizer’ Episodes and release schedule
As mentioned earlier, “The Sympathizer” has only one episode released on Max so far. The mini-series will consist of seven episodes, planned to premiere every Sunday until the end of May. Below is the full schedule.
Episode 2 – April 21
Episode 3 – April 28
Episode 4 – May 5
Episode 5 – May 12
Episode 6 – May 19
Episode 7 – May 26
