Justin Barrasso
Jul 1, 2020
Filmmaker Frank Zarrillo took a chance on QT Marshall, and that risk is paying off.
The winner of the San Diego Comic-Con’s “Best Documentary” in 2017 with The Wrestler: A Q.T. Marshall Story, Zarrillo spent over two years documenting Marshall, who is now part of AEW, adding an even higher profile to a compelling documentary.
The story details Marshall’s journey in pro wrestling and follows his dream of making it in WWE. Viewers see Marshall’s passion as a wrestler and teacher at the Monster Factory wrestling school in New Jersey, and also provides a look behind the curtain. His resilience is on display, and there is a true sense of the ambitions, fears, and vulnerabilities of Marshall—New Jersey born Michael Cuellari—throughout the film.
There are plenty of standout moments, which largely include the Monster Factory and a visit from longtime WWE talent scout Gerald Brisco.
“Two weeks after I bought new equipment, I was filming the Brisco seminar,” said Zarrillo. “It all happened that quickly.”
Zarrillo filmed an incredible amount of content, much of which did not even make it into the final cut, and felt he had everything he needed—with the exception of one scene. He ultimately found it when Marshall and his wife were having dinner with his mother.
“That dinner scene with his mother and his wife, that was the moment I knew we had something special,” said Zarrillo. “Then we paralleled that with the Gerald Brisco scene, someone who had been in the business and been such a big part of it, and that’s when I knew we had the right stuff, elements where people watching can relate.”
Zarrillo has already started filming his next project, a bodybuilding documentary that includes insight from Arnold Schwarzenegger. But he will forever champion the work of QT Marshall, an underdog with dogged tenacity and determination.
“QT was in the business so long and he just wouldn’t give up, despite injuries and setbacks,” said Zarrillo. “I think a lot of people can relate to that. Being there with him, watching the doc, you understand what he’s going through.”