3 satirical superhero shows to watch on Prime Video this weekend (May 8
While I enjoy a good superhero show, I adore those that are satirical in nature. Nothing beats a good laugh. Luckily, Amazon Prime Video is home to several acclaimed satirical superhero series, and they each function in hearty ways that deconstruct the genre piece by piece.
This weekend, I’ve selected three satirical superhero gems for you to watch on Prime Video in the U.S., and each boasts a Rotten Tomatoes score of 95 percent or higher. My top pick, though, is so extreme, it’ll keep you laughing throughout its bingeworthy deep dive into sheer depravity.
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I’m a Virgo
An antidote to bland television
From Sorry to Bother You director Boots Riley, I’m a Virgo is a fantastical coming-of-age tale about a giant teenager experiencing life, love, and adventure in Oakland, California. Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us) stars in the lead role alongside Mike Epps (The Upshaws), Carmen Ejogo (True Detective, 2019), and television’s best-kept secret, Walton Goggins (The White Lotus).
The seven-episode narrative earned a 96% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and follows the titular giant Virgo Cootie (Jerome) as he steps out of his adoptive parents’ home for the first time at 19 years old. See, Cootie is 13 feet tall, and because of that, he’s spent most of his life living hidden away from public view. Upon escaping into the beauty and contradictions of the real world, he forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and even encounters his idol, The Hero (Goggins), a billionaire acting as a local superhero.
I’m a Virgo is a different kind of superhero show that features bizarre surrealism held together by biting commentary about racism, America’s broken medical system, over-policing, and more. The show offers a gritty, realistic, very human perspective on supes that’s as thought-provoking as it is entertaining, and its combination of good humor and philosophy with a daring story shows viewers just how much the capitalist structure of society needs to change.
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The Tick
A near-perfect satire exploring superheroes and mental health
A two-time Emmy-nominated series, The Tick is created by Ben Edlund and is based on his original comics. The series is also Prime Video’s first foray into superhero satire, and judging by its 95% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences loved it.
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In a world where superheroes and villains are real, an unassuming and overly anxious accountant named Arthur (Search Party’s Griffin Newman), who lacks superpowers, finds himself smack-dab in the middle of the battle between good and evil after suspecting a city-controlling conspiracy. The more obsessed he becomes with unraveling it, the more he’s labeled as “crazy,” until the eccentric blue superhero The Tick (Shaun of the Dead’s Peter Serafinowicz) becomes an ally. There’s only one thing—is The Tick real, or is he just a figment of Arthur’s imagination?
The two-season show expertly balances comedy, action, and drama with more heart than you can stomach in its willingness to spoof every form of superhero medium available. I love that it refuses to take itself seriously. What makes the show stand out from other superhero satires is its earnest approach to Arthur’s mental health, which explores both trauma and heroism in tandem and with genuine care.
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The Boys Presents: Diabolical
A worthy, rowdy animated spin-off
Acclaimed creators Seth Rogen, Awkwafina, Evan Goldberg, Garth Ennis, and Andy Samberg unleash irreverent, emotionally shocking animated tales in The Boys Presents: Diabolical. Set within The Boys’ superhero universe, the anthology spin-off is mostly non-canon, but that doesn’t seem to have any bearing on its 97% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The eight-episode Emmy-winning series plunges elbow-deep into the unseen crevices of superhero violence that audiences devour like birthday cake and emerges with a fistful of complete insanity. From Homelander’s first mission/mistake to a home for kids who were absent the day A-list superpowers were being bestowed, to Butcher and Hughie in the style of the original comics, there’s something for everyone in this anthology series. The catch, though, is that you must have a hankering for shockingly emotional, blood-soaked television.
Each episode shines with its own unique brand of dark humor and inventive animation, used to magnify The Boys‘ critique of corporate greed, media manipulation, and the commodification of superheroes. They target the absurdity of superhero tropes while successfully showcasing the mundane, often tragic cruelty of the Vought International corporation by employing different genres, like Korean horror and Looney Tunes-style slapstick. Expect to hear the voices of series creators, as well as your favorite Boys characters, Simon Pegg, Michael Cera, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Isaacs, Kumail Nanjiani, and more.
Other satirical superhero shows worth exploring on Prime Video are Invincible, Gen V, and obviously, The Boys, which is currently in its fifth and final season. See what else the platform has in store this month outside the superhero realm with its newly released May lineup. No matter your taste, the streaming giant is certain to have something entertaining for everyone, so don’t miss out on the chance to peruse its righteous library.
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