I’m a Virgo Review: Prime Video’s upcoming series stars Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, Mike Epps as Martisse, Carmen Ejogo as Lafrancine, Betty Gray as Felix, Olivia Washington as Flora, Kara Young as Jones, Walton Goggins as Jay Whittle/The Hero, Allius Barnes as Scat and others. Directed by Boots Riley, he co-wrote the series with The Chin, Whitney White, Marcus Gardley and Michael R Jackson.
The music is by The Coup Tune-Yards. The series has 7 episodes of 30-40 minutes approximately.
I’m a Virgo Review Contains No Spoilers
In Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo series, Cootie is almost a 30 feet tall teenager who lives with his uncle Martisse and Aunt Lafrancine. The couple doesn’t let Cootie step out and builds a large house for his comfort. The duo believes that if people find out about Cootie being a giant, they will cause him harm. But Cootie is curious and unaware of the life outside his house. All he does is watches a graphic animated TV show and everything about his favourite superhero, The Hero.
One day, Cootie manages to sneak out and befriends Felix, Scat, Jones and Flora. He’s happy to be out, but things go wrong quickly. Cootie experiences love pain, loss and the ugly side of the human world. His beliefs about the people he admired shattered in no time. So what really happens? You will have to watch the series when it drops on Prime Video.
Simply put, I’m a Virgo on Prime Video is an eccentric series. Boots Riley’s humour is either dark or discomfiting, and it’s usually seen in social satirical scenes. The series shows two sides of the world – the suppressed and the entitled. It makes you wonder if the heroes around us are truly the saviours or the cause of the problem.
There’s a sex scene between Flora and Cootie that made me very uncomfortable. It reminded me of some weird sexual sequences I’ve seen in Prime Video’s hit series, The Boys. In fact, The Hero/Jay Whittle has the qualities of a Homelander without the powers. For our protagonist Cootie, there are many lessons to learn about the outside world. But the reality of Hero, someone Cootie loved when he was inside the house for 19 years, is quite a shocker.
When it comes to social commentary, it is either depicted through the treatment of Black people or through protests. Jones, played by Kara Young, is the face of social and political protests on the show. But it has no impact and feels like this subplot is just added for background noise. The makers have also depicted people who would hype something for no reason. A group of elderly white people, that looks like some cult, think of Cootie as their lord/saviour. Whenever they come on screen, I couldn’t help but laugh at their absurdity.
So is I’m a Virgo a good series? Well, in parts, it is a fun watch. You will be engrossed in watching Cootie’s adventure outside his house. I also enjoyed the scenes from an animated TV show which sometimes tell a much better and more brutal story than the series itself. The animated show seems like a mix of Family Guy and The Simpsons.
Jharrel Jerome gives an earnest performance as a 19-year-old Giant Cootie. Seeing a huge man being so naive and clueless about everything is awkward. Jharrel has portrayed naivety and curiosity with perfection, making Cootie a likeable character.
Walton Goggins as Jay Whittle/The Hero is a true maniac. Jay is ridiculous and often confidently says problematic things, and Walton has done an incredible job. The rest of the cast also plays their part well.
I’m a Virgo Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Prime Video’s I’m a Virgo is a decent watch. It takes a strange path to make social comments and makes you feel uneasy sometimes. The performances are amazing. You will definitely enjoy the scenes from the animated TV show often shown in the series.
The series will stream all episodes on Prime Video on June 23, 2023.