User reviews

In our current mass media landscape oversaturated with superhero stories, it's become increasingly hard to find ones that stand out from the pack. Gone are the days of Sam Raimi's Spider-man where the storytelling was played straight, with bright colors and energy that seek to evoke the feeling of reading a comic-book. In the 2020's, we have reached peak of the superhero craze, and it seems studios have bottlenecked their output into two different flavors of media:

1. Superhero stories that infuse their characters into a different blockbuster genre (a superhero spy movie, a superhero sci-fi epic, etc.) 2. Superhero stories that ask "what if Superman was BAD?"

"I'm a Virgo" is the third Amazon show I've watched that falls into category 2, and despite not advertising itself a superhero show, it contains the most interesting answer to that question by far.

In the other two Amazon shows I mentioned, "The Boys" and "Invincible", the drama comes from the insurmountable odds of defeating an antagonist who wields godlike powers. There's always the looming threat of this evil Superman figure who is capable of wiping out all the heroes (or anti-heroes) without breaking a sweat. In "I'm a Virgo", this threat is also present, as "The Hero", a sort of Iron Man/Batman archetype played by Walton Goggins, always shows up to intimidate the characters who seek social change. The show starts off slow, introducing us to this familiar-yet-bizarre universe (similar in tone to Donald Glover's Atlanta) and the players that inhabit it. Eventually, however, we reach a turning point that forces our main characters to confront this force of "justice".

The main between this show and those other two is the conclusion. Without spoiling anything, the finale of this series is some of the most thought-provoking, well-explained examinations of what it means to be superhero, and why anyone who tries to take on that mantle will fail. There have been plenty of superhero media that examines the inherit fascism associated with being a superhero, but almost all of them reach the conclusion that "we should kill them" or worse, "I'll just be better". This show does not say either of those things, and I hope more people get to experience Boots Riley's superhero manifesto for themselves.

Is it the constant relateability? I'm not sure but so many movies and shows that are coming of age are well done. To be fair there are plenty of bad ones too but this is not one of them. Boots riley plays with our creature comforts that we're exposed to every day. He wants you to see the familiarity as what's wrong but at the same time he celebrates it. I'm only a couple episodes in but what's clear is the lead actors are what make this show. Sure it's got some weird characters. If you didn't like soery to bother you check this out as it's a step up for sure. My parents liked the first episode but got lost on the second. It's a show about a giant it's not grounded in reality. But the ties to reality keep the heart of it.

The industrial strength superhero is a well established part of modern day media while the folk heroes that preceded them are mostly forgotten.

This show is the black Paul Bunyan, man.of the community vs the industrial superhero, enforcer of the corporate state. Of course the show's Paul Bunyan is not equipped for this showdown even with his supporting team of Oakland, CA neighborhood X-Kids who are more concerned with using their powers to do their jobs, score, and help others impoverished by the system.

While the Paul Bunyan folk tale is a celebration of the boundless opportunity and natural resources of the earlier American experience (at least for some people), this version exists in a decaying landscape of fast food, desperation, and death.

It's weird, surreal and sometimes preachy, but definitely worth a watch.

Really good. That's all I can say. The best art to me is the kind I can't effectively describe. It is itself. That's the highest compliment I can give. This show never did what I expected but felt 100% appropriate to itself the whole time. It was engaging and bizarre and sweet and packed a punch and I love seeing stuff like this get made. It's worth the watch and I don't even mind if there's another season or how the second one goes, this one stands on its own and will still be enjoyable for me no matter what else happens to it in the future. Definitely recommend checking it out now and not worrying too much it's just a good ride.

Boots has done it again, immediately after starting the show you can tell that this is something special. The music, the writing, the set design, all comes together perfectly to set up another surreal world from boots riley.

Just a perfect execution of an amazing idea, the practical effects are genuinely jaw dropping. Was immediately holding my stomach from laughing so hard from the first episode.

Haven't seen a show in ages that has this much obvious care and attention put into it.

Truly radical, truly funny. Could not stop laughing.

Been telling just about everyone i know to watch it

Blown away, check it out.

You can always rely on Boots Riley to hoof out something profoundly weird and I'm a Virgo is no exception to this. A meditation on superheroics, corporate culture and trueness to whatever one's self is - chock full of bizarre allegorical imagery and fascinating ideas. It's an art thing. Feels very art. In that, as a narrative, it's a little lacking. Its intentional metaphorics make it come across as fairly aloof and the deep message being presented on the most corporate television platform there is feels sadder than the trollish win it's painted as in some quarters. That being said, I feel like this endeavour may end up outliving the endless turgid cape crusades from the rival corporations, and the more cynical ones of the same network.

The series has peculiar initial ideas, combined with a cult-Style presentation that can be confusing and difficult to understand.particularly concerning politics and capitalist perspectives from the viewpoint of Black individuals. This makes it a niche content that is challenging for a wider audience to grasp, ultimately making it less enjoyable. However, the presentation of characters with extraordinary powers in a bizarre manner is intriguing and keeps viewers engaged until the end. It's worth giving it a try, as each episode is only around 25-30 minutes long. However, be aware that the series leaves many storylines hanging and sets up for a potential second season.

What a weird series. I mean that in the best way possible. Having loved sorry to bother you, i had a feeling there would be some political/social critiques, but by the last episode it dives fully into those. It's not subtle, but that's the point. It's meant to open the audiences eyes.

The performances are top notch from everyone, especially jharrel jerome though. He captures the anxieties that a 13ft tall man who has been hidden from the world would feel, and it feels so awkwardly realistic. I love how boots riley dives fully into the weirdness of the show as well. He clearly had his vision, and it looks like he didn't let anyone stand in his way.

I really hope there's a season 2 because they leave us on a subtle cliffhanger, but a pretty big one at that. I thoroughly enjoyed this and it's originality. Give boots riley more money to make his ideas come to the screen!!

As a big fan of shows that have supernatural elements and tell a. New story, I gave I'm a Virgo a chance. Plus I am a Virgo so I wanted to see how they built that in there. There are some sweet coming of age of a naive teenager parts that addresses friendships, relationships, and society. What turned me off were some of the "all or nothing" political views that heavily demonize the "us vs them" and serve to further the racial divide that currently exists in the US. "Capitalism is to blame for the woes of poor people" is a gross oversimplification of a complex issue. You would think communist Russia at the time of the Cold War should be the perfect society! Hey, no capitalism so life should have been perfect for everyone, right? Hospitals in the US also don't turn people away at the ER. The series basis its plot on extremely flawed ideas which can be dangerous. That said, there are some valid points that do make you think about things. Also, if the US was not a capitalist society, we'd all be speaking German right now. Just something to think about.

Having immensely enjoyed Sorry to Bother You, I was very excited to see what Boots Riley did with this and was not disappointed!

Excellent commentary on capitalism, with plenty of surrealism throughout.

I only wish that the pacing was a bit more balanced; I think this could have easily been a standalone mini series but it seems that some things/characters that could have been explored with more depth were intentionally left out in favor of some too-long scenes involving sex/romance and action.

My favorite bits were the various superpowers and the scenes critiquing capitalism with some fantastic visuals. I also really love the cartoon that was shown throughout, and the dystopian elements.

I hope that if there is a season 2 that it can focus more on exploring the main characters in depth, more over the top hilarious commentary on commercialism, as well as more powerful and concise messages on capitalism.

I hope that we can see more and more popular movies and tvs explicitly calling out capitalism and the toxicity of society in the hopes of inspiring people to fight back and create a better world.

I would vote this 8 stars, but am putting 9 stars to boost the overall rating because it is at a 6 right now and I don't want people to be deterred by that unfairly low score.

I like this show. I like the cast, i like the writers and director. However, there isn't any excuse for it to just abruptly end. I know there is a writer's strike, but terribly stretched out 2nd seasons that flop hard and don't earn the writers or cast any residuals are absolutely a part of the problem. The show should just be 1 season, the creator does not have enough ideas to make a second one, and it's just going to be bad when they do make it.

7 episodes is not a season, even if they are 1 hour long. This show has 2-3 more episodes in it at best, and i fear for what amazon will do to it to make that into a full new season.

The first few episodes are creative and interesting but it went off the rails later on. The visuals are gorgeous throughout and Oaklanders will appreciate the love letter to the city. There are embedded cartoons that are really thought provoking. But the further along you get the story just stops making any sense and gets super confusing. There are many plotholes and nonsense. The plotline with the power company making money by cutting power is just nonsensical. The motivation and backstory of the parents is confusing. The last episode felt like they couldn't figure out how to shove their anticapitalist message into the plot so they just gave up and went on a long political diatribe.

Brilliant concept, provocative writing and laser focused direction from Boots Riley. He manages to paint another colorful dystopia that once again highlights the evils of capitalism by flipping concepts on their head and putting a mirror up to show you the world we live in. I love that someone is touching on the concept of giants in American history I feel like there is a lot of new clippings like that you can still find through the years of giant remains being found across the world. Who knows but it's an interesting concept and dope that Boots touched on that. Mike Epps and the whole cast is great as well. Looking forward to anything Boots Riley does which hopefully includes a new The Coup album.

Black surrealism is back Babbbbbyyyyyyyy! This show is amazing, the story telling and the overall message is spectacular. Also in this Era of reboot Hell this type of originality feels like a cool fresh water after being stuck in the desert. Not to mention as a black man I feel completely over the moon anytime we are allowed to be in fantasy, fiction, fairy tales, or science fiction, we deserve more stories like this. Also Boots Riley is incomparable, his work make feel like im listening to a funkadelic record or like I'm seeing spaceships on Bankhead lol. Great great great great great great great.

A seemingly obvious metaphor in the very first shot, this series is anything but not long after. Infused with deep human emotions, brilliant symbols, and characters you've never seen before, Boots Riley creates a world where giants exist but seldom live long. Sheltered by his odd but loving parents, 13 foot tall Cootie (the Twamp Monster, lovingly played by Jharrel Jerome) finally greets the outside world for a burger and a chance at love. The overall design is amazing, but it's the writing that really makes it worth your time. All the actors are amazing, really, but special shout-outs to Mike Epps as Cootie's dad, and Walton Goggins (best known from Justified, bit all weirdly urban now) as "The Hero." If you liked Riley's movie Sorry to Bother You, this show will blow you away.

"I'm a Virgo" is a baffling and pretentious attempt at storytelling. The premise of a giant baby named Cootie being raised by his unseen aunt and uncle had the potential for something unique and intriguing. However, creator Boots Riley fails to capitalize on this premise and instead delivers a convoluted mess.

The character of Cootie, portrayed by Jharrel Jerome, is meant to represent the struggles of young Black men in society. Unfortunately, the exploration of this theme is shallow and lacks nuance. Cootie's journey from isolation to friendship is clichéd and predictable, and the social and political commentary woven into the narrative feels forced and heavy-handed.

Riley's use of a stylized aesthetic, reminiscent of Wes Anderson, comes across as a desperate attempt to mask the lack of substance in the story. The mixture of magical realism, absurdism, and Brechtian elements only adds to the confusion and inconsistency of the overall experience. The reliance on practical effects and puppetry to depict Cootie's size further highlights the lack of cohesive storytelling, as if Riley threw together random ideas without any clear vision.

The supporting characters, such as Felix, Scat, and Jones, are one-dimensional and serve as mere vehicles for the exploration of various social issues. Their interactions with Cootie and the overall plot feel contrived and lack authenticity. Even the inclusion of Walton Goggins as a comic book writer turned superhero adds little to the narrative and feels like a desperate attempt to inject some novelty into the show.

The narrative's tonal shifts from light to dark are jarring and inconsistent. The attempt to tackle complex themes such as race relations, capitalism, and gender experiences feels superficial and lacks depth. The extended sex scene between Cootie and Flora, while intended to be provocative and thought-provoking, ends up being gratuitous and irrelevant to the overall story.

While the ensemble cast delivers competent performances, their talents are wasted on a script that fails to provide them with meaningful material. The young cast members show promise, but their potential is squandered in this messy and misguided production.

"I'm a Virgo" is an example of style over substance. Its attempts to be fresh and invigorating fall flat, leaving viewers perplexed and unsatisfied. With more ideas than it can handle, the series becomes a disjointed and unfulfilling experience. While it may deserve more time to develop its concepts, the current offering of seven episodes is more than enough to demonstrate its shortcomings.

Rosa Luxemburg said it's either socialism or barbarism. Make no mistake, we live in times of barbarism, and this show could only come in such a time.

As dark as the rise of fascism is around the world, I'm a Virgo lavishes in showing that it's through comrades'... comraderry and brotherhood that we can build actual change. The metaphors for every characters' superpower are spot-on, from Felix's car to Jones' mindpalace speeches and Flora's amazing beautiful mind.

The heroes accomplish what they set out to do by all working together and relying on each other's special strenghts amd interests. It's building community to build commnunity to take back our community.

It has drama and comedy and action and social commentary out the wazoo. Boots Riley at his best.

After trying - and failing miserably - to copy Charlie Kaufman with Sorry to Bother You, Boots Riley tries even harder to impress critics and intellectuals and to excite regular audiences. Failure, again.

I'm a Virgo is a messy compilation of half-baked ideas and things Mr. Riley always wanted to say - or hear characters say. There is a naive and very basic lecture about what's wrong with the economy, there is a depressed super hero looking for a super villain, there are supporting characters that suddenly get a lot of screen time ...

There is a lot going on, but it feels random and somehow not original. Probably, because all of it has been seen in other shows or films. Mr. Riley's eclecticism would be fine if there would be just a little more to this collection of inspirations by others. But there isn't.

I'm a Virgo is shallow and has not once managed to surprise me. Nevertheless, the show's pretentious creator seems to consider himself enormously sophisticated and inventive, which translates into the exaggerating of the predictable twists and turns. But after all, he is mostly processing ideas of other people that inspired him. Here, however, the ideas are annoying and incoherent, it all results in disappointment.

Nevertheless, some actors have managed to deliver convincing performances, like Carmen Ejogo, Mike Epps, Allius Barnes and Walton Goggins.

If you didn't like EEAAO this probably isn't for you either. Trippy and mind bending with an tether to the real, this is the satirical social commentary/ comedy I didn't know I was dying to see. Each episode has a slightly different and escalating tone as we delve into different character's story arcs. This is the first show in a long time to actually give me some surprises along the way and I know there are still layers to unpack and things I missed. There was an identifiable vulnerability to many of the characters that kept me invested in their development that I'm not sure will translate to a majority culture audiance. This is the kind of show I wouldn't recommend to everyone because I wouldn't want it wasted on someone who wouldn't get it. The ending was rather abrupt so I hope there is a second season but even if that doesn't materialize season 1 is worth the watch on its own.

This is truly one of the most unique and inventive series I've ever seen. Do not miss it! Those who enjoyed 2018's excellent SORRY TO BOTHER YOU won't be disappointed. Boots again explores themes of race, alienation, code switching, hope, family, community and exploitation for his own unique brand of surrealistic satire. It didn't surprise me when Boots recently presented both SORRY TO BOTHER YOU and BRITANNIA HOSPITAL (Lindsay Anderson 1982) as he shares a well reasoned criticism of capitalism with Anderson. Like Lindsay Anderson, Boots will not bend on employing surrealism even if it alienates audiences used to generic plot lines. See it now!

How the story is told is my favorite part of this series. The way it is shot, the references to comic book storytelling in the lighting, color, and some montage-like shot sequences, are all incredibly creative. As a result, it has the general atmosphere of being cool and current.

The content of the story is aimed for a young audience who indeed talk about the pitfalls of capitalism in real life. Since they are the generation who will likely have to face the negative effects rather than its benefits, it is not inaccurate to show young, black teenagers in L. A doing it. However, the topic is not over-exhausted; nor does it take any of even the most radicalized characters seriously enough to use their solutions as a panacea; nor do they surprise you by "taking a turn on episode 4".

One of the reasons why the storytelling is so good is because it exposes people's objectives from their intentions which is a representation of us all irrespective of what our individualized beliefs are.

The show from the beginning has a clearly articulated perspective that reveals itself more as the events evolve. Any discerning viewer will observe that the show poses more questions on social ills (and its responses) than it would give any answers.

Nice concepts, and a strong cast. Excellent production design and special effects. I like the cartoon quality of several characters and the idea that it might touch upon some facets of superhero stuff, but not dive all the way in. I've watched only two episodes, yet I can tell that I would have preferred this story delivered as a movie. Like "Stranger Things" and various SciFi series and movies coming out over the last decade, it's become really trendy to produce a far-fetched fantasy story, with quirky lead characters who struggle (or sometimes thrive) in odd circumstances. The two actors cast as his parents are committed, but their attitudes are one-dimensional... this is a writing problem, and not the actors' fault. The jury's out whether I will finish this season.

There are so many visual riffs, intertextual allusions, and unexpected plot twists in just seven digestible 30-minute episodes. This is one of those shows where everything so feels novel and surprising that you walk away inspired to mix things up in your own life. The cast also keeps it fresh with a real showcase of talented actors. If your standard plodding prestige series is a prose novel, then the density of the script and the visual play in I'm a Virgo make it more of a prose poem -- something you really want to sit down and unpack after each episode. It has been a joy for me and my friends to stop after each episode and talk through what we just saw.