I'm a Virgo

I'm a Virgo is an American absurdist comedy miniseries created by Boots Riley and starring Jharrel Jerome. The first four episodes premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in March 2023. All seven episodes were released on Amazon Prime Video on June 23, 2023.

Synopsis
Cootie is a 13 ft, 19-year-old Black teenager raised by his Aunt Lafrancine and Uncle Martisse in Oakland, California. He is shielded from the outside world until being accidentally discovered by a group of teenage political activists.

Main

 * Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a 13 foot tall sheltered boy
 * Olivia Washington as Flora, a fry cook with the power of superspeed, giving her the perception of living in slow motion
 * Brett Gray as Felix, a loyal friend who's 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, assistant to The Hero

Guest stars

 * Elijah Wood as Studious Guy
 * Joel Edgerton as the voice of a UPS driver in the fictional Parking Tickets show
 * Danny Glover as the voice of a weatherman in the fictional Parking Tickets show
 * Juliette Lewis as the voice of Justin, a character in the fictional Parking Tickets show
 * Slavoj Žižek as the voice of the Baby in the fictional Parking Tickets show
 * Omar Miller as Damian Wallace, a man facing execution
 * Morgan Fairchild as Cressley Whittle, The Hero's mother

Development
On June 22, 2020, it was reported that 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.

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," concluding, "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.