Why Nicole Kidman's Expats is so controversial? Explained

Expats is a miniseries on Amazon Prime. The drama series was first released on the platform on Jan. 26, 2024, and currently features only two episodes, with six episodes in total.

The show is based on a novel called The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee. It is directed by Lulu Wang, who is best known for writing and directing comedy films such as The Farewell and Posthumous. This will be one of the few instances in which the director would not be taking on the comedy genre.

The show stars Nicole Kidman, Sarayu Blue, and Ji-young Yoo in titular roles. The Amazon Prime description for the show states:

"Set against the complex tapestry of Hong Kong residents, EXPATS depicts a multifaceted group of women after a single encounter sets off a chain of life-altering events that leaves everyone navigating the intricate balance between blame and accountability."

Soon after the release of the show, it found itself in the middle of a controversy that concerns both Kidman and the show itself.

---

Why did Expats get banned in Hong Kong? Reasons explored

Expats was released on Amazon Prime on January 26, 2024. Since its release, the show has been garnering praise as well as criticism.

People have been particularly talking about the show's ban in Hong Kong, the city in which the show is based. Some believe that the ban is due to the tightening of the free speech laws in the Special Administrative Region.

For those who are unaware, Hong Kong has recently seen a gradual decline in civil rights. As a result, public protests and challenging the government are highly looked down upon. People can even face consequences for the same, ranging from getting heftily fined to getting jailed or worse.

Expats which is based in Hong Kong does have some political undertones which justifies why the movie is banned in the city. Be it some of the themes that are covered or the dialogues, the show was expected to not go down too well with the city's government.

Additionally, the city of Hong Kong in 2021 also amended the Film Censorship Ordinance which gave the government in power the right to remove content that included the “portrayal, depiction or treatment of any act or activity which may amount to an offence endangering national security.”

Therefore under these circumstances, audiences believe that the show was blocked from viewing in Hong Kong.

---

Why did Nicole Kidman receive criticism for Expats?

As soon as Expats opened its doors to the audiences, it immediately found itself in deep water. First, it was about the show's complete censorship in Hong Kong. Then it was about a past incident that Kidman had previously received flak for.

The incident in question here pertains to Nicole Kidman's presence in Hong Kong in August of 2021, while the show was being filmed in the city.

While Kidman was shooting for the show, news of her whereabouts was constantly being made public knowledge. Back then, this had infuriated a lot of people who believed that Kidman was being exempt from the city's strict COVID restrictions.

---

Two episodes of Expats are available for streaming on Amazon Prime. The third episode of the show will be aired on Feb. 2, 2024, while the last episode will be aired on Feb. 23, 2024.