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Plot Summary
Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio had often heard the legend of Cropsey. For the kids in their neighborhood, Cropsey was the escaped mental patient who lived in the old, abandoned Willowbrook Mental Institution and would come out at night to snatch children off the streets. Later, as teenagers, the filmmakers assumed Cropsey was just an urban legend: a cautionary tale used to keep them out of those abandoned buildings. That all changed in the summer of 1987 when 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger disappeared from their community. Now as adults Joshua and Barbara have returned to Staten Island to create "Cropsey," a feature documentary that delves into the mystery behind Jennifer and four additional missing children. The film also investigates Andre Rand, the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances. Embarking on a mysterious journey into the underbelly of their forgotten borough, these filmmakers uncover a reality that is more terrifying than any urban legend.
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
90%- Reviews Counted: 41
- Fresh: 37
- Rotten: 4
- Average Rating: 7.2/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: Perched at the intersection of psychological survey and serial-killer expose, "Cropsey" loosens the girdle of the documentary form to accommodate much more than facts.
Fresh: Cropsey has all the trappings of a true-crime TV special, but with an undercurrent of cultural exposition that is intelligent, profound and unsettling.
Fresh: The story of the unsolved abductions and the man who might have become the scapegoat for a community is troubling enough. No big-screen trickery is required.
Fresh: The latest Cinema Purgatorio release is really a scary story told in the dark, in the get-this whisper of documentary.
Customer Reviews
The Horrifying Truth
I'm a huge doc lover and a horror fan, so obviously this is like the perfect film for me. The film is probably the first horror-documentary I've ever seen and might just start a whole new genre as far as I'm concerned (I hope it does). Definitely reminded me of another fav doc, Capturing The Friedmans. If you're a fan of that film you should definitely check this out. Seriously scary, but smart, too, with some solid detective work.
Fascinating Horror Doc
This doc is far from terrible, as previously stated. It's the first documentary that I've seen that actually made me scared while watching it! It's like freaking yourself out and learning at the same time! Cropsey begins with a creepy urban legend that circulates Staten Island about a boogeyman named Cropsey who snatches up children and kills them. Thought to be more of a 'wives tale' keeping kids from wandering around the abandoned Willowbrook Asylum, the documentary delves into the legend to reveal actual kidnappings of several children in the area by a man named Andre Rand. Cropsey will have you questioning the 'defunct' myths you were told as children and giving you goosebumps. Maybe 'One-eyed Jack' and the 'Boogeyman' are real, also! I, for one, will be checking under my bed tonight!
Blair Witch but REAL!!!
This documentary gave me the chills and I am still coming to terms with the fact that it is all real! Perfect for fans of 48-Hour-Mystery and Ghost Hunters. This story follows the urban legend of Cropsey on Staten Island and how this legend is connected to the disappearance of many children over the years. Just when you think you know who is actually responsible, or "the real Cropsey," the documentary takes you on a twisting ride that leaves you begging for more chilling details. Must watch!!!
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