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2023 American television series

I'm a Virgo
Genre
Created byBoots Riley
Directed byBoots Riley
Starring
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
  • Boots Riley
  • Tze Chun
  • Michael Ellenberg
  • Jharrel Jerome
  • Adam Merims
  • Lindsey Springer
Editors
  • Saira Haider
  • Tom Eagles
  • Ron Rauch
Running time22–37 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)

I'm a Virgo is an American surreal comedy television miniseries created and directed by Boots Riley and starring Jharrel Jerome. The first four episodes premiered at South by Southwest in March 2023, and all seven episodes were released on Amazon Prime Video three months later.

Synopsis

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Cootie, a sheltered boy, has grown to be 13 feet tall by the age of 19. He is being raised by his aunt Lafrancine and uncle Martisse in Oakland, California, where he is shielded from the outside world until a group of teenage political activists inadvertently learn of his existence.[2]

Cast

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Main

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  • Jharrel Jerome as Cootie, a 13-foot-tall sheltered teenager
  • Olivia Washington as Flora, a fry cook with the power of super speed
  • Brett Gray as Felix, a loyal friend who is 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

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Guest stars

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Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten by [3]Original release date [4]
1"You a Big Muthaf*cka"Boots Riley[2]Boots RileyJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
2"The Universe and My Spirit"Boots RileyBoots RileyJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
3"Paco Rabanne"Boots RileyTze ChunJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
4"Balance Beam"Boots RileyWhitney WhiteJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
5"Brillo, If Possible"Boots RileyMarcus GardleyJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
6"It Requires Trust on My Part"Boots RileyMichael R. JacksonJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
7"A Metaphor for What"Boots RileyBoots RileyJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)

Production

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Development

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On June 22, 2020, it was reported that Boots Riley was creating a new series with Michael Ellenberg of Media Res, starring Jharrel Jerome, called I'm a Virgo.[5] Riley started writing in 2019.[6] 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.[6] On May 23, 2026, during the press tour for I Love Boosters, Riley stated that there were no plans for a second season after having to cut 40% of the script, including a penultimate episode, due to budget issues two weeks before production began.[7]

Filming

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Principal photography took place primarily in New Orleans, Louisiana,[2] with outdoor shooting on location in Oakland, California. The show utilizes practical effects with miniatures and puppets for some shots.[8]

Music

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The soundtrack is provided by Riley's group The Coup, and Tune-Yards provided the score.[2]

Release

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The first four episodes premiered at the South by Southwest film festival on March 11, 2023.[8] The seven-part series was released on Prime Video on June 23, 2023.[9]

Reception

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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."[10] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 86 out of 100 based on 26 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]

Ben Travers of Indiewire rated the series a B+, calling it "a visually imaginative parable with a moving message".[12] Chase Hutchinson of Collider rated the series an A and called it "big on ambition yet precisely focused".[13] Erin Brady of /Film wrote that it is "one of the streaming era's most interesting and offbeat projects [...] Riley's unique visual style and the dynamic performances from its eclectic cast make it unlike anything you'll watch this year".[8]

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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.[14]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 Krystaf, Lauren (March 11, 2023). "'I'm a Virgo': Cast, Plot, Trailer, and Everything We Know so Far About Boots Riley's New Series". Collider. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  2. ↑ "I'm a Virgo". Writers Guild of America West. Archived from the original on October 14, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Shows A-Z – I'm a Virgo on Amazon". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  4. ↑ Petski, Denise (June 22, 2020). "Boots Riley Teases New Series 'I'm A Virgo' With Jharrel Jerome To Star". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Rodriguez, Karla (March 6, 2023). "Prime Video Unveils First Look Images and Teaser Trailer for Boots Riley's 'I'm a Virgo'". Complex. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  6. ↑ garner, Glenn (May 23, 2026). "Boots Riley Says "Nope" To 'I'm a Virgo' Season 2, Jokes: "I Think We Watch TV Too Much"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 24, 2026. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3
  8. ↑ "Fantasy coming-of-age series 'I'm A Virgo' gets release date". The Hindu. May 9, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  9. ↑ "I'm a Virgo: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  10. ↑ "I'm a Virgo: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  11. ↑ Travers, Ben (March 11, 2023). "'I'm a Virgo' Review: Boots Riley Tells a Giant Story in His Joyful, Savvy Prime Video Series". Indiewire. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  12. ↑ Hutchinson, Chase (March 12, 2023). "'I'm a Virgo' Review: Boots Riley and Jharrel Jerome Team up for a Towering Achievement". Collider. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  13. ↑ Giardina, Carolyn (January 16, 2024). "'The Creator' Leads Visual Effects Society Feature Competition With 7 Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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