Boots Riley’s new Prime Video comedy-drama I’m A Virgo is a fantastical exploration of our current times through the lens of those who are most likely to suffer the consequences of our divisive and oftentimes regressive sociopolitical atmosphere. It’s also a television series about a 13-foot-tall Black teenager that includes epic takedowns of capitalism, surveillance, and authority. Yes, please!
I’m a Virgo, which premieres June 23 on Prime Video, may not be the next living room watch for the whole family, but thanks to a vibrant, yet grounded fictional universe with direct parallels to our own, it is one that all the cool people will be talking about during brunch with their friends. Simply put, it’s the perfect show for liberal freaks — like me.
Told over seven episodes, the series centers on the towering teen Cootie, played by a sharp and endearing Jharrel Jerome. He grows up in a sheltered, yet caring environment with parents who are distrusting of the world around them and fear for his future as the odd one out. During his early years, the giant boy loses himself in comic books and television, and yearns for the outside life, specifically to be surrounded by peers and to taste a burger from the popular chain Bing Bang Burger.
As a teen, Cootie continues to struggle with too-small furniture and doorways while living in his average-sized home and is now filled with age-inflicted angst. So naturally, his parents build him a large shed in their backyard. Although this grants him more freedom, it isn’t enough to dissuade him from his increasingly defiant and curious attitude. While lounging around outside, Cootie meets a trio of social activists and invites them into his new abode. They strike an electric friendship and introduce him to the local party scene, as well as their criticisms of the town’s superhero The Hero (Walton Goggins), whom Cootie has long idolized due to his comic book obsession.
Stage and screen actor Kara Young is a standout in her portrayal of Jones, one of the three people Cootie befriends. Her character refuses to be blinded by the shining lights that surround Cootie when his existence is discovered by the town, and she leads many of the radical protests against the city’s heavy surveillance and worship of wishy-washy superheroes. Throughout the season, she breaks down why The Hero and unsustainable policies, like for-profit healthcare and town curfews, have Big Loser Energy and feed into the government’s drive to control its constituents, rather than serve them. These are the moments where the show shines the brightest, in its unwavering perspective on the world and strong critiques of this in power, which are carried through to the end.
Riley, who created, wrote, and executive produced the series (and is opting out of press interviews because of the Writer Guild of America strike), is unashamed to confront the villains of the story and intricately label them as so. While Cootie’s parents have seemingly drunk the Kool-Aid and find themselves living in fear of the oppressive society, they are hardly labeled as villains and are more so viewed as victims, along with the many others who suffer tragedies throughout the series. Meanwhile, there are others who have benefited from the system, yet continue to present themselves as everymen, and they fall to oblivion, telling the viewers: you’re either with us, or you’re not.
Riley carries over the same surrealist approach to the series as he did with his feature debut Sorry to Bother You, which also tackled conversations surrounding capitalism. But rather than coming off as a one-trick pony, he proves that there’s so much left to be said on the topic.
While these heavy themes are crucial to the storyline, they complement the vibrant storyline that plays out, which includes mythical world-building, a beautiful coming-of-age story and a deconstruction of the world’s obsession with superheroes and authority. I’m a Virgo is deliciously weird and fully commits to the bit, featuring everything from a big baby to a meandering young romance to a cry-baby superhero. The series will have you laughing, crying and hooting, and hollering, as well as feeling politically charged and geared up to be that annoying person at your next family gathering.