Director Peter Farrelly Releases Zombie Movie Documentary

Director Peter Farrelly and his brother Bobby are best known for movies like Dumb and Dumber, Green Book and There’s Something About Mary. Their film The Ringer casted 150 extras with Down syndrome, and the brothers have been pushing for inclusion in Hollywood for many years.  In 2020, the Farrelly brothers were awarded the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion by the Ruderman Family Foundation. 

This April, Peter Farrelly released something brand new on Apple TV- a documentary following two 25-year-olds as they created their own gory zombie movie, 2016’s sensational Spring Break Zombie Massacre. The two Rhode Island artists, Sam Suchmann and Mattie Zufelt, are best friends and they both have Down syndrome. 

Since releasing their film, they’ve gotten a taste of fame and are thrilled to be doing it again. 

“I’ve always been the shy guy,” Suchmann said. “Now I’m experiencing what the cool kids are experiencing.”

Also from Rhode Island, Peter Farrelly has become a good friend and mentor to the duo. He says he has watched their movie numerous times, and loves it. 

He explains that the new documentary, Sam and Mattie Make a Zombie Movie, is about determination. 

“This is about what anybody has to do in life to get a movie made, or do anything in life that is hard to do,” he said. “People shouldn’t see their movie because two kids with Down syndrome made it. They should see it because it’s a damn good movie.”

“They’re a whirlwind of energy and happiness,” he said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “These guys are really sharp, and they knew what they wanted. Our job was to help them but not get in their way.”

Now that that’s done, Suchmann and Zufelt are planning a sequel, which will be “epic”.