Realizing the urban legend of their youth has actually come true, two filmmakers delve into the mystery surrounding five missing children and the real-life boogeyman linked to their disappearances.
Direction
Filmmakers insert themselves into their own childhood fear—meta and messy.
Editing
Geraldo's '80s news footage hits different knowing how it ends.
Production
Abandoned asylum ruins are genuinely stomach-churning locations.
Director
Joshua Zeman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Willowbrook State School scandal—exposed by Geraldo Rivera in 1972—created the literal ruins where Cropsey supposedly lurked, linking disability rights atrocities to urban legend formation.
The 'Cropsey' legend existed in multiple NYC boroughs with regional variations; Staten Island's version uniquely absorbed real disappearances into its mythology, blurring folklore and true crime permanently.
US
