Is it truth or simply a scary story? What exactly is Cropsey? It's a name used to frighten kids—a bogeyman meant to teach them safety, like warning them away from certain locations or people. Joshua Zeman and Barbara Brancaccio discovered as children that their own Cropsey might have been based on a real person. Or maybe not. Andre Rand was convicted of kidnapping a child and is believed by many to be responsible for several other kidnappings and murders occurring between 1972 and 1987. The victims were often children with special needs, and considering Rand’s connections to Willowbrook State School—a facility whose appalling conditions were revealed in Geraldo Rivera's documentary in 1972—and his residence near the Greenbelt Woods surrounding the school, he appeared to be the most probable suspect. Zeman and Brancaccio do a remarkable job of gathering all available information and accounts related to Rand, including conversations with families and friends of the missing children and the detectives who investigated the cases. They even managed to make contact with Rand while attempting to arrange an interview. The footage and narratives concerning Willowbrook are intensely unsettling, as are the visits to the abandoned buildings there. Throughout, we see images of the missing children, along with a photo of the one child found murdered near one of Rand’s makeshift campsites. These are genuine horrors presented within what is essentially a horror film, and they have a deeply disturbing impact. The filmmakers do lose some clarity in the final section, though, as more claims and accusations arise, diminishing some of the initial tension; the documentary feels somewhat bogged down, and some of the stark realities are replaced with speculative theories. Despite this, it’s primarily an outstanding documentary—thought-provoking and impartial. It easily could have been just Zeman and Brancaccio conducting interviews, but they delve much deeper, creating a memorable effect on both the intellect and emotions. 8.5/10

Source on TMDB