Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Language, drugs in surreal, magical show about teen giant.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
I'm a Virgo
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
There are problems brewing in I'M A VIRGO's Oakland, California, where a comic book-style baddy called Hero (Walton Goggins) is consolidating his power and threatening the happiness and livelihood of all the peaceful citizens. Lucky for those citizens, Cootie (Jharrel Jerome) is on their side. The 13-foot-tall young man has been hidden away all his life by his loving but concerned Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps) and Aunt LaFrancine (Carmen Ejogo), and he's absorbed all his ideas about the world from books and television. Now he's busting out and exploring the world for the first time. Can he win friends and affection, foil the Hero, and learn how to be himself in a world that's simply not built for him?
Is It Any Good?
Deeply weird, magical, and shot through with both joy and pain, the singular vibe of this series won't surprise fans of Boots Riley's 2018 masterwork Sorry to Bother You. There's much of the surreal in I'm a Virgo: a young giant, the comic book superhero he admires, and a world that's not kind to those who stick out. But the emotions are recognizably human and lovely. Outside the home he's been confined in his whole life, beneath tall Oakland downtown buildings on the back of a souped-up car, he marvels: "I feel small." Then the three new friends he's made offer beautiful acceptance: "Hey, bro, you a real one," says the car's driver. "For real?" wonders Cootie, visibly vulnerable. "Yes," they chorus back with affecting enthusiasm.
The heart in I'm a Virgo anchors all the strangeness, and makes this series uniquely enjoyable. Cootie's aunt and uncle are understandably worried about how the world will react to their enormous nephew, while Cootie's just aching, teenager-style to break away and find his place. Meanwhile, around the domestic chaos a political battle is brewing, between the good-hearted people of Cootie's neighborhood, and The Hero, who's intent on manipulating the system so he can drain the city's resources for himself. It's going to take some supersized might to oppose him, but we're guessing Cootie is up to the task, and watching him open up to the world (and vice versa) is positively marvelous.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how "surreal" is a word used to describe this series. What does surreal mean? What aspects of I'm a Virgo are surreal? Which are grounded in reality?
Filmmaker Boots Riley is known for creating out-there narratives. Have you seen any of his other efforts? How does I'm a Virgo compared to his best-known work, Sorry To Bother You?
Cootie is a character who is outsized, yet struggles with feelings of powerlessness. Does Cootie learn how to wield power more effectively as this show goes on? What metaphorical meaning could be implied by the contrast between Cootie's size and confidence?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 23, 2023
- Cast : Jharrel A. Jerome , Olivia Washington , Brett Gray
- Network : Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 8, 2025
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