Unmissable Documentary About Shocking Urban Legend Is Now Free To Stream Online
Tyler Doupe'
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I have a really compelling suggestion for you today, dear reader. I recently filled in a blind spot and checked out Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio’s true crime documentary, Cropsey. And I wish I’d done so sooner. The events recalled within Cropsey unfold a bit like a horror movie. But in this case, you can’t dismiss anything you see as fiction, and that’s quite an unsettling realization.
The documentary begins life as a retelling of the urban legend from which the picture takes its namesake. But it’s not long before the legend seemingly comes to life, as we learn of a series of Staten Island murders that very closely parallel the Cropsey myth.
Brancaccio and Zeman are no strangers to the legend of Cropsey. They have a personal connection, as both grew up hearing rumblings about Staten Island’s own boogeyman. But life began to imitate lore with the highly-publicized abduction of Jennifer Schweiger in 1987. It’s believed that Jennifer was kidnapped and killed by a Staten Islander named Andre Rand.
Before I go into Rand’s backstory, allow me to provide a brief primer on Cropsey for the uninducted: Cropsey is an urban legend that originated in New York State. His story seems to change slightly with each retelling. And as the filmmakers point out, the tale would even differ from one neighborhood to the next. Most incarnations of the story agree that Cropsey is an escaped mental patient who lives in the tunnel system under a mental institution. He was believed to come out at night when he would kidnap his juvenile victims.
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Andre Rand also lived underneath (and around the grounds of) the abandoned Willowbrook State School, an institution for children with developmental disabilities where Rand was previously employed. It was an institution with a sinister reputation and was eventually shut down for inhumane conditions.
Rand is suspected of murdering several developmentally disabled children, including Jennifer Schweiger and Holly Ann Hughes. He was convicted of kidnapping Jennifer in 1988 after her body was found near one of his campsites at the former institution. In 2004, he was convicted of abducting Holly. Rand is believed to have murdered both of the young girls. But the lack of evidence prevented a homicide charge from sticking in either case.
Though Rand’s story is rooted firmly in reality, this doc feels a lot like a horror movie. The subject matter is terrifying and the filmmakers take great care to tour some of the key locations in low light, providing the impression that something may just jump out of the shadows and attack. I found myself bracing for a jump scare on several different occasions. That distinction makes the film highly unnerving. But certainly not as unnerving as the misdeeds of the suspected child killer upon which the documentary is focused.
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In addition to functioning as a harrowing viewing experience with plenty of chilling scenery and a terrifying central focus, the doc does an impressive job of profiling the case. It presents the audience with a series of possible explanations and allows the viewer to make up their own mind. Some of the possible explanations are pretty far-fetched. But they do give the audience food for thought and leave the viewer with plenty to consider.
Among the far-fetched theories is the suggestion that Rand was involved with a satanic cult. There’s not much hard evidence presented to support that claim, but some of the participants profiled believe Rand may have been a member of a cult that practiced ritualistic sacrifice. Another suggestion is that Rand was a cult leader with followers who lived in and around the abandoned Willowbrook School. Again, none of this is ever substantiated with any corroborating evidence. But raising the possibility certainly adds a layer of uncertainty and gives a person cause to wonder where the truth really lies. That becomes especially true when some of the law enforcement officials profiled seem to reinforce those suspicions.
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The documentary also explores a multitude of possible explanations for the child abductions in Staten Island. One of those includes the idea that Rand could be innocent and that he became the scapegoat for a fearful community. While I won’t rule that out as a possibility, it seems pretty unlikely. The manner in which he plays games with law enforcement and the filmmakers alike doesn’t seem to suggest that he’s trying to clear his name, more so than enjoying his time in the spotlight. That someone would be so sinister as to self-indulgently bask in the fame achieved from killing innocent children is a mortifying thought.
All in all, Cropsey makes for a chilling viewing experience. If you haven’t seen the film, I would recommend giving it a watch. It stands as an eerie true crime doc that plays out a little like a horror movie. You can find it streaming on Prime Video, Tubi, and PlutoTV as of the publication of this post.
Categorized:Editorials True Crime
