If there’s one thing we love, it’s a meaty historical drama with plenty of thrills thrown in for good measure – and even more so if it’s based on a bestselling book. That’s why, then, we’re so excited for The Sympathizer to make its way to the UK at long last.

The HBO series, adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s novel of the same name, has some serious clout behind it. Not only has it been nurtured into being by director Park Chan-Wook, the name behind cult classics such as Oldboy and The Handmaiden, but it also stars and is executive produced by Academy Award-winning actor Robert Downey Jr.

Even better? It’s been generating a lot of positive responses from critics already, which means this one is a safe bet to dive into

Watch the trailer for The Sympathizer below:

Intrigued? Here’s what you need to know about the new seven-part series.

What is The Sympathizer about?

As per the synopsis, The Sympathizer “is 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.”

Who stars in The Sympathizer?

Hoa Xuande takes the lead in this one as Captain, flanked by the likes of Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxinê, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, and Alan Trong.

Killing Eve’s Sandra Oh and Robert Downey Jr round off the cast beautifully.

What are people saying about The Sympathizer?

The show, which recently premiered in the US, already boasts a cool 88% ‘fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many praising it for its haunting lessons on identity and rebellion.

Meanwhile, speaking with Arab News about her character, Oh explains that she stars as liberal feminist Sofia Mori, who uncovers several dark truths about herself when she becomes the third point in an unexpected love triangle.

“I tried to show how, through her relationship with the Captain and the love triangle that you’ll see comes about in the series, she starts to question how she has also been complicit in the very thing that she is fighting against, against the patriarchy and against the racism. You see how much she’s internalized and is starting to question the internalization,” she explains.

When can we watch The Sympathizer?

All seven episodes of The Sympathizer will be made available from Monday 27 May on Sky Atlantic. 

Will you be tuning in?

Images: HBO/Sky Atlantic