The Sympathizer

A communist party mole, the Captain juggles the demands of his South Vietnam Army boss, the General, and his CIA handler, Claude – and struggles with his conscience when one of his comrades is captured by his own squad's officers. With the fall of Saigon imminent, the Captain must round up a list of evacuees for a flight to the U.S., when he gets a surprising new assignment.

The Captain and his fellow Vietnamese refugees attempt to settle into life in Los Angeles. The defeated General grows suspicious and demands the Captain locate a mole he believes has infiltrated their ranks. While the Captain narrows in on a target, he reconnects with his former teacher, Professor Hammer, and meets his beguiling assistant, Ms. Mori.

With the General’s order to eliminate the spy in their ranks weighing on him, the Captain seeks Bon’s help to craft and execute a plan specifically timed for Independence Day. Later, at an upscale lunch, Claude introduces the Captain to the Auteur, who seeks the Captain’s on-set consulting for his upcoming Hollywood movie about the war.

The Captain encounters an uninvited guest on his drive north to consult on the Auteur’s war movie. While on set, the Captain’s frustrations grow as he navigates the Auteur’s volatile ego, temperamental Hollywood actors, concerns of Vietnamese extras, and his own emotional response to the film.

After a lengthy hospital stay, the Captain finds his life in disarray and attempts to use a windfall to make amends for past misdeeds. Meanwhile, Lana is working a new gig away from her parents, Ms. Mori is romantically involved with a familiar face, and the General has concocted a plan to reclaim his homeland.