I’m a Virgo

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

Height…it’s something that many of us place more focus on than we care to admit. And yet even when some of us are on the shorter side, like me, we’re taught to hold our heads high and “walk tall.” But for Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), the idea of “walking tall” is a concept that he is more familiar with than anyone else. Directed and co-written by Boots Riley, the series “I’m A Virgo” delves into Cootie’s world as he navigates life with a “gentle giant” demeanor, and we see the world through his eyes. And at thirteen feet tall, Cootie’s world and air is a bit different than it is for the rest of us.

From the get-go, Cootie’s life has been anything but ordinary. Taken home from the hospital and raised by his Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps) from infancy, Cootie’s above average size begins to take on a life of its own as he outgrows his aunt and uncle’s house, and they build him a space of his own. Still initially hidden from the outside world in his backyard shack, Cootie’s curiosity to what lay outside of the hedges is a fantastical journey that must be seen to be believed. And once he can venture outside of his little bubble, Cootie soon learns that the world is even more outlandish than his own stature.

Riley’s vision of Cootie’s character and perspective almost feels like a fever dream, and Jerome is capable of taking those reins and bringing us along for the wild ride. Couple that with Cootie’s intrigue to the world he wishes to experience, and we learn that in Cootie’s world view everything is definitely less than ordinary. What I truly came to appreciate was how from the beginning Cootie’s love of comics seems to bleed into the imagery and dynamics of the world around him. And us as the objective viewer, we are witness to a picture larger than our own because through Jerome’s depiction as a thirteen-foot teddy bear, it is Cootie’s world, and we are merely bystanders in it.

And Riley knows how to capture and make you grasp the understanding of how small Cootie’s world is until he can venture out into it. Even then Cootie still finds himself curious and eager to take in the world as much as possible…no matter how dark and twisted it can be. From the beginning Cootie is forced into a mold of sorts by his Uncle Martisse…who hopes to keep Cootie hidden from the world as he fears what others will do to him for his oddity. Martisse may be tough and try to give his nephew a difficult time for being so eager to see the world, but his heart seems to be in the right place. Whether it be painting a designated section for Cootie to inhabit or giving him a space of his own, Martisse seems to be protective of those who mean the most to him.

Cootie’s world is larger than life, no doubt about that. But the most important thing to remember is this: while Cootie’s height is remarkable, his vision, imagination, and hopefulness surpasses all of it. “I’m A Virgo” premieres this June on Prime Video.