Robert Downey Jr. navigates Hollywood's portrayal of the Vietnam War in 'The Sympathizer'

"The Sympathizer," a new HBO series featuring Robert Downey Jr., takes a darkly satirical look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath, with Downey playing multiple roles. Directed by Park Chan-wook and adapted from Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the series follows the story of a half-Vietnamese, half-French officer of the secret police who has been working for the North Vietnamese against the American-backed government. Despite powerful moments, the series struggles to consistently pull itself out of a narrative quagmire, and the high-profile elements don't fully deliver on their promise.