I'm a Virgo is an American surreal comedy television miniseries created and directed by Boots Riley and starring Jharrel Jerome. The first four episodes premiered at South by Southwest in March 2023, and all seven episodes were released on Amazon Prime Video three months later.
Contents
Synopsis
Cootie, a sheltered boy, has grown to be 13 feet tall by the age of 19. He is being raised by his aunt Lafrancine and uncle Martisse in Oakland, California, where he is shielded from the outside world until a group of teenage political activists inadvertently learn of his existence.
Cast
Main
Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall sheltered teenager
Olivia Washington as Flora, a fry cook with the power of super speed
Brett Gray as Felix, a loyal friend who is obsessed with his car
Kara Young as Jones, a young activist with the power of "psychic theatre"
Allius Barnes as Scat, a member of the gang obsessed with the existential cartoon Parking Tickets
Special guest stars
Walton Goggins as Jay Whittle / The Hero, a billionaire who acts as a local superhero
Mike Epps as Martisse, Cootie's uncle and guardian
Carmen Ejogo as Lafrancine, Cootie's aunt and guardian
Kendrick Sampson as Edwin Garrison, The Hero's assistant
Guest stars
Elijah Wood as Studious Guy
Joel Edgerton as the voice of a UPS driver in the fictional show Parking Tickets
Danny Glover as the voice of a weatherman in Parking Tickets
Juliette Lewis as the voice of Justin, a character in Parking Tickets
Slavoj Žižek as the voice of the Baby in Parking Tickets
Omar Miller as Damian Wallace, a man facing execution
Morgan Fairchild as Cressley Whittle, The Hero's mother
Production
Development
On June 22, 2020, it was reported that Boots Riley was creating a new series with Michael Ellenberg of Media Res, starring Jharrel Jerome, called I'm a Virgo. Riley started writing in 2019. On December 14, 2020, it was reported that the half-hour series would be a co-production between Media Res and Amazon Studios. Riley and Jerome executive produce alongside Michael Ellenberg and Tze Chun. The cast also includes Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, Brett Gray, Allius Barnes, Kara Young and Olivia Washington. On May 23, 2026, during the press tour for I Love Boosters, Riley stated that there were no plans for a second season after having to cut 40% of the script, including a penultimate episode, due to budget issues two weeks before production began.
Filming
Principal photography took place primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana, with outdoor shooting on location in Oakland, California. The show utilizes practical effects with miniatures and puppets for some shots.
Music
The soundtrack is provided by Riley's group The Coup, and Tune-Yards provided the score.
Release
The first four episodes premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 11, 2023. The seven-part series was released on Prime Video on June 23, 2023.
Reception
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 96% approval rating with an average rating of 8.10/10, based on 61 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Boots Riley's towering imagination looms as large as his supersized hero in I'm a Virgo, an uproarious satire that's given an enormous heart to match by star Jharrel Jerome." Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 based on 26 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Ben Travers of Indiewire rated the series a B+, calling it "a visually imaginative parable with a moving message". Chase Hutchinson of Collider rated the series an A and called it "big on ambition yet precisely focused". Erin Brady of /Film wrote that it is "one of the streaming era's most interesting and offbeat projects [...] Riley's unique visual style and the dynamic performances from its eclectic cast make it unlike anything you'll watch this year".
Accolades
The show was nominated in the category of Outstanding Special (Practical) Effects in a Photoreal or Animated Project at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards.