Summary
I’m a Virgo is endlessly inventive and entirely unique, with an outstanding leading performance from Jharrel Jerome. This surreal original won’t be to everyone’s taste, but its innovation and purposeful creativity should be rewarded nonetheless.
Here is our review of the 2023 Prime Video series I’m a Virgo Season 1, which does not contain spoilers.
As consumers, we are constantly inundated with an endless stream of fresh new film and TV content. Some of it is great, but most is entirely disposable and unoriginal. Watch enough TV, and you’ll soon start to notice the industry’s many tired trends and tropes.
Well, that all changes with Boots Riley‘s TV debut, I’m a Virgo, which stands out as the most original series you will probably see all year round. This absurdist comedy manages to defy all conventions with its unrelenting innovation and imagination.
I’m a Virgo Season 1 Review and Plot Summary
The series stars Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us) as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall 19-year-old who’s also an adventurous Virgo, hence the title. This youthful giant lives in hiding with his aunt (Carmen Ejogo) and uncle (Mike Epps), who feel compelled to shield him from the perils of the outside world.
In the opening scene, we watch as baby Cootie grows at a rapid pace, dwarfing the family home and hulking his way out of the walls and doorways. His guardians build him a new house to tackle this problem, giving Cootie some much-needed independence in the process.
Cootie’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he yearns to explore the outside world. Venturing out into society one night, Cootie discovers a love for loud music and fast food. He even finds himself a romantic interest in Flora (Olivia Washington), who has superpowers of her own.
But as you would imagine, Cootie’s introduction to the real world is met with just as much hate as love. Businesses and organizations want to use Cootie for their own selfish gains. And as with any fantastical origin story, there has to be a villain.
Enter Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight), who plays pretentious entrepreneur Jay Whittle. This kooky comic book creator is also a comic book character, patrolling the city streets at night as The Hero, a law-abiding masked vigilante.
Is I’m a Virgo Season 1 good or bad?
As you can see, I’m a Virgo is a lot of things. It’s an amalgamation of many genres and ideas, bringing to mind the surrealist works of Charlie Kaufman and the Daniels. Imagine Everything Everywhere All at Once in TV form, and you may start to build a broader picture of this kaleidoscopic, inventive oddity.
The seven-part series is highly stylized and unique, exploring themes of capitalism, racism, and many other social and economic issues through this modern mythological lens. It may also just be the strangest superhero origin story of all time.
Jharrel Jerome is superb, as always, bringing naivety and tenderness to the lead role. Audiences will be drawn to this charming, gentle giant and eager to see him thrive in the real world.
Is I’m a Virgo Season 1 worth watching?
I’m a Virgo won’t be for everyone. Its manic pace and eclectic style will be too out there for many viewers, who are turned off by the more artsy aspects of the show.
Yet this is still a refreshing and original series that finds creativity in every scene. And that alone should be applauded.
What did you think of the Prime Video series I’m a Virgo Season 1? Comment below.
