Review
‘We Want the Virus’: Paul Santoli Delivers a Scrappy, Funny Independent Comedy With Real Get-It-Done Spirit
There is something almost perversely appropriate about "We Want the Virus," Paul Santoli’s scrappy COVID-19 comedy about bad judgment, online grifting, and two struggling actors in full panic mode. The trailer is, frankly, head and shoulders better than the feature itself. But Santoli’s wacky independent comedy has enough of an evil-genius vibe—and enough genuine commitment from its filmmakers—to make it difficult to dismiss.
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| Greg (Cody Schultz) - Courtesy Photo |
Directed by Santoli, who also stars as Adam, "We Want the Virus" begins after a blackout night of drinking leaves two lifelong friends with an unbelievable problem. Adam and Greg (Cody Schultz), both struggling actors and clearly not the sharpest minds in the room, wake up to discover they have raised $22,000 through “Go Fund Yourself” by presenting Adam as having COVID-19. The catch: they now have to find a positive test—or risk having their scheme referred to the actual authorities.
With a 48-hour clock ticking over their heads, the premise becomes a comic pressure cooker. Santoli and Schultz play their characters like men whose poor decisions have been a part of their lives from day one. The movie is occasionally very funny.
Santoli, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Gualajara, taps into an old-school comedy sensibility. The film draws from the spirit of “Dumb and Dumber,” “Weekend at Bernie’s,” and “Horrible Bosses,” with Adam and Greg stumbling from one bad decision to the next. The central joke may be stretched beyond its natural life at times, but there is a strange pleasure in looking back at the madness of the COVID lockdown through the lens of a deliberately ridiculous low-budget comedy.
The production quality is solid throughout, and it is clear that Santoli knows how to make a movie. The film is never poorly framed, never poorly shot, and never poorly edited. Cinematographer Alexander Flanagan gives the film a polished visual shape, while editor Brendan Day keeps the action moving with confidence. These are solid artists doing what they do.
Then consider the circumstances: "We Want the Virus" was made for $30,000 and shot in 24 days. That makes me want to scream at all of the aspiring filmmakers who have a list of excuses. I want to bang on the proverbial drum and ask: “What are you waiting for?” Santoli and his team did not hide behind a lack of money, time, or ideal conditions. They made the film, got it in front of audiences, and gave it a life beyond the set.
That hustle matters. "We Want the Virus" may not be perfect, but it is perfectly imperfect in the way many independent films must be: ambitious, resourceful, and made by artists who refused to wait for permission. Santoli and his A516 Productions team got the movie done—and that alone is worth applauding.
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“A scrappy, sharply made independent comedy with the nerve to get it done—Paul Santoli and A516 Productions prove that excuses do not make movies.” - Lapacazo Sandoval [AMN] Curtain Raiser
https://www.amazon.com/We-Want-Virus-...
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‘We Want the Virus’ Review: Paul Santoli Delivers a Scrappy, Funny Independent Comedy With Real Get-It-Done Spirit
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