The film reveals a series of murders in Staten Island that bear a striking resemblance to the Cropsey myth.
The documentary commences by narrating the urban legend that shares its name, but it doesn’t take long before the legend seemingly transforms into a chilling reality. The film reveals a series of murders in Staten Island that bear a striking resemblance to the Cropsey myth.
Both Brancaccio and Zeman share a personal connection to the Cropsey legend, having grown up hearing tales of Staten Island’s own terrifying figure. However, the line between legend and reality blurred dramatically with the highly-publicized abduction of Jennifer Schweiger in 1987, allegedly at the hands of a Staten Island resident named Andre Rand.
Before delving into Rand’s background, it’s essential to offer a brief introduction to Cropsey for those unfamiliar: Cropsey is an urban legend with its origins in New York State. The narrative surrounding Cropsey tends to evolve with each retelling, with variations from one neighborhood to another. However, most iterations of the story agree on the core elements: Cropsey, an escaped mental patient, is said to inhabit the tunnels beneath a mental institution and emerge at night to abduct young victims.
Andre Rand’s residence was situated beneath and in the vicinity of the abandoned Willowbrook State School, an institution originally designed for children with developmental disabilities but eventually shuttered due to its abhorrent living conditions.
Rand stands as a prime suspect in the suspected murders of multiple developmentally disabled children, including Jennifer Schweiger and Holly Ann Hughes. In 1988, he received a conviction for kidnapping Jennifer, as her lifeless body was discovered near one of his makeshift campsites on the grounds of the former institution. In 2004, he faced another conviction, this time for abducting Holly, although concrete evidence to charge him with homicide in either case remained elusive.
While Rand’s tale is firmly rooted in reality, this documentary carries an eerie resemblance to a horror film. The subject matter itself is profoundly chilling, and the filmmakers meticulously guide us through key locations, often shrouded in dim lighting, creating an unsettling atmosphere where the sense that something might unexpectedly emerge from the shadows is palpable. On several occasions, I found myself bracing for a jump scare, a characteristic that adds to the documentary’s unsettling nature. However, this unease pales in comparison to the horrors attributed to the suspected child killer at the heart of the film’s focus.
