Original subtitles

The future is now.

We are the future.

We

love

you, Dennis.

Joshua loves you.

We love you, Dennis.

Joshua loves you.

We love you, Dennis.

Joshua loves you.

We love you, Dennis.

Joshua loves you.

We love you, Dennis.

Future is now.

How may I help you, sir? I want to see Dennis Austin.

Sorry, sir.

None of our brothers is named Austin.

He's here, and I want to see him.

Hey, fella, who's in charge around here?

Joshua loves you.

Have a nice day.

This is the gatekeeper? Yeah, what's up?

This is the verse. He's on the ground.

Call the police.

How

may

I help you, sir? You in charge here?

I'm Martin Washburn, one of the Society's elders.

Joshua Bradbury is our leader. Yeah? Well, where is he?

Mr. Bradbury is busy.

We'll make an appointment. Mike, hell, get out of my way. It's all right,

Martin.

Joshua will see the gentleman.

Of course.

This way, sir.

Mr. Austin, this is our founder, Joshua Bradbury.

I want my son.

You sound very angry, Mr. Austin.

You're damn right I am. You're holding my son.

Oh, no.

We don't hold anyone.

Your son came here because he found your world, the outside world, corrupt.

Decayed.

We're the future, Mr. Austin.

I don't give a damn what you are.

You can't keep me from my son.

Of course not.

We wouldn't think of holding anyone against his will.

Nobody is trying to keep anybody from anyone.

You wish to speak to me, Joshua?

My God, Dennis, what's happened to you?

Dennis, answer your father.

You shouldn't have come here.

What else could I do? You disappeared from school.

Your friends told me you went off to join a cult.

We are the future. The future is now.

We are the future.

What is this crap?

Dennis, I'm your father.

I love you.

I'm taking you home.

This is my home.

This is my family.

What have you done to my son?

Mr. Austin, you offered the past.

What we've done is to give Dennis an opportunity.

An opportunity for perspective.

To see into the mind's eye a very clear and pure perspective into the very life

of things.

The future, Mr. Austin.

Dennis has chosen the future.

It's a very important and happy time for all of us.

But this is private property.

And I must ask you to leave.

Not without my son.

Dennis, what's the matter with you? What the hell is going on around here?

Damn you, I'll take your head off before I let you keep my boy. What's the

problem here?

I'm William Austin. This is my son, Dennis. And these people, they're

him. Is that true?

Is that true, Dennis?

This man is not my father.

This is my home. This is my family.

And this man is trespassing.

He threatened my life, and I want to file a complaint.

File a complaint? What, against me?

He kidnapped my son!

You want to leave?

This is my home.

That's it, Mr. Robson. Let's go.

No! I'll kill you!

I'll kill you! Come on. No!

Are you people nuts?

This lunatic Bradbury has kidnapped my son, and you're putting me in jail.

Mr. Austin, your son's an adult with rights, just like you and me.

And you have no right to threaten Mr. Bradbury. This cult has taken my son,

that man Bradbury is the head of it. Some kind of a religion, and it's not

against the law.

Now, please, empty your pockets.

Booking guy.

Yes.

I see.

Fine.

You're lucked out.

Joshua Bradbury has decided to withdraw his complaint.

You're free to go.

Mr. Austin, you've done what you could for your boy.

Go back to Chicago.

I'm not going anywhere without my son.

It's almost 11.

Time for Joshua's tea.

Oh.

Anna, are you all right?

I'm fine.

My baby is blessed.

I'll be back in a minute to help you finish your work.

You look tired.

No.

Oh my God.

I'd love to have taken that jackass' head off, but this is insane.

Dennis couldn't have seen me kill him.

What your son actually said was he saw you fleeing the scene of crime.

But I wasn't there.

I mean, this can't be happening.

You told the police you went to meet a man who never showed up. I did.

At the time of the murder. Yes, I think so.

I don't know. This is all my fault.

See, Dennis... Dennis has always been a fragile boy, and when his mother passed

away last year, he was devastated.

Happened so fast, I was out of it. I mean, I... I didn't recognize his pain.

wasn't any help to him at all. I just told him time would heal, and I shipped

him back to school.

Now, with his mother gone and me... me acting like I didn't give a damn, well,

no wonder that cult was able to grab him.

You think the cult...

got your son to accuse you of murder?

Well, certainly.

They already got him to sign over his trust fund and his inheritance. It's

,000.

Look, they tell me you're the best lawyer in Atlanta. Is that so?

I don't know that I'm the one to ask.

Please, you talk to Dennis.

Maybe you can get him to clear this up.

What if I talk to him and he sticks to his story?

I don't know.

But if I go to prison, Dennis is going to be lost to those people forever.

Dennis? Dennis Austin?

I'm Ben Matlock. I'll be representing your father.

I'm Martin Washburn, the attorney for the Future Now Society.

Dennis has nothing to say to you, Mr. Matlock.

Dennis, can't you speak for yourself?

Joshua Bradbury was the hope for the future, and this evil man, William

killed him.

He denies that. How can you talk that way about your own father?

He's not my father.

He's a liar and a subversive, and I never want to see him again.

Come on in.

Mrs. Carter?

Mrs. Carter, I know it's difficult, but try not to worry, Mrs. Carter.

If your daughter's in the Moonies, I'll find her.

No, I'll call you.

Okay, bye.

You're Ben Matlock. Yes, sir.

You make the papers.

Did you track down all these folks? Most of them.

They're the ones I tracked down, I deprogrammed successfully.

I've heard.

What's on your mind?

Um, well, I... I have a problem.

My client, William Austin, has been accused of murdering Joshua Bradbury.

read about it.

Somebody should have done that a long time ago.

The Future Now Society.

A very rich cult.

They make all their new members sign over all their assets.

Bank accounts, property, even life insurance policies.

And they're very good at investments.

What do the people who join this society get out of it?

In return for their money and absolute obedience...

Cults provide their victims with the illusion that they're on the side of

fighting against evil, that their leader is greater than God.

Oh, con games.

Dressed up to look like religion.

My client's son, Dennis, told the police he saw his father

fleeing the scene of the crime.

Dennis is a cult member, is he?

Yeah, he's been a member for two months. I think he's lying.

Oh, I doubt that.

Well, I'm certain my client's innocent.

Cults dwell on the purity of their world and the corruption and deceit of

everyone else.

They never ask the boy to lie.

Well, then how could Dennis say he saw his father?

What do you know about brainwashing, Mr. Matlock?

Not much.

Let me put it this way.

Given the right circumstances, you or I could be programmed to see that phone

and think it was a snake or a monster or God.

That's hard to believe.

It's true.

Cults control minds.

That's how they work.

That's what they do.

And I undo.

Well, thank you, and I'll...

I may be coming back.

Do it.

Thanks.

Pretty impressive place for a religious organization that sends kids out in the

street to sell flowers. Well, the flowers is just what the public sees.

The money these poor people turn over to this cult has given Mr.

Bradbury two mansions.

A fleet of cars, boats, no telling how many, secret bank accounts.

Well, now that he's dead, maybe the future now society will fall apart.

Well, no.

The elders have already taken over.

You think one of them killed Joshua Bradbury? They were all there when

Austin threatened them and tried to strangle him. I guarantee you one of

made the phone call, left him without an alibi.

Mr.

Matlock? Mr. Thomas, I'm Thomas Oldham, one of the elders.

I believe you've met Mr. Washburn.

Quite a place you've got here.

Let's get this over with, Mr. Matlock. One of you can see our new leader, Ezra

Smith. The other can see Joshua's study.

Well, what do we flip?

I'll take the study.

Mr. Smith is downstairs. The study is upstairs.

Now, police say the killer entered through these French doors and left the

way with Dennis following him.

That's right.

And at a certain point, the killer fell, and that's when Dennis saw that it was

his father.

Yes. Are you finished, Mr. Matlock? No.

Now, as I understand it,

Dennis Austin was bringing tea to Mr. Bradbury when he heard the shot.

That's a coincidence.

Here comes young Dennis bringing tea at the exact moment his father's supposed

to be shooting this fellow.

Yes, but Dennis always brought tea to Joshua at that time.

I see.

Every night?

At 11 o 'clock.

What were you two gentlemen doing when Joshua was murdered?

This is outrageous, Mr. Matlock.

Martin's a very volatile man, Mr. Matlock, and was totally dedicated to

His losses made him angry.

Now, to answer your question, Martin, Ezra, and I emulated Joshua from...

Dinner until 11, we each meditated privately.

Well,

one more thing.

You say that Mr.

Smith is now your leader, your new leader. When was the election?

Joshua named me his professor in his will, Miss Thomas.

Mr. Bradbury expected to die?

We all die, Miss Thomas.

But that's not what you're asking.

Joshua was realistic.

He felt it quite possible he might meet a violent end.

You see, people misunderstand our society, our goals, and the devotion of

followers.

Like Dennis Austin.

Yes. When Dennis first came here, he was confused, lost.

We gave him love, a home, and a purpose in life.

Do any of those things sound evil to you?

Of course not. Miss Thomas, you're obviously a resourceful woman, and

your life works.

There are others not as fortunate and without your inner strength who would

to drugs or alcohol, to lives of self -destruction.

Dennis was on that path, as were many others you see here.

Most religions claim to save souls.

We also save lives, Miss Thomas.

You must, you must admire us for that.

Hi, my name is Clara.

I have some information I'd like to share with you that will change your

Hi, I'm Sarah.

Do you believe in the future?

Can't be any worse than my present.

Believe me, the future is now.

And you can be a part of it.

Read this.

And if you can, make a small donation.

Lady, I'm broke.

I got laid off from my job five months ago. Just got kicked out of my room.

I live at the Future Now Society.

What do they want with you?

Parents do that. They don't want us to be reborn in the future, so they hired

deprogrammers to go after us.

You say you have no place to live.

Well, come to dinner.

The Future Now Society will welcome your man, Tyler, with open arms.

I gotta say, that was a hell of a setup.

I hope he can resist their brainwashing.

Oh, I think he can.

Well, given the right circumstances, Tyler, you or me.

Brainwashing. It works.

The future is now.

I just went to sleep.

I'm Joyce, brother.

You were reborn.

We are the future.

The future is now.

We are the future.

The future is now.

We are the future.

The future is now.

We are the future.

The future is now.

And now, just as Joshua taught us, you will begin your purification.

You will undergo four days of fasting, meditation, and the fellowship of your

brothers.

You are the future, Tyler.

Joshua loves you.

Joshua loves you.

You have completed your purification.

Have you found peace with us, brother?

I've found peace.

I've found love.

This is my home.

We are the future.

Still no word from Tyler. I'll give him time.

Here's a message.

He's in trouble.

He sounded all right to me.

Well, then why did he hang up so fast?

Well, probably somebody was coming. He'll call back when he can.

No, we've got to go get him, Ben.

Tyler can take care of himself.

Most of the time, but he's undercover in a cult with those people.

What if they steal his mind?

Huh.

Ben.

Patrick Morrison told me.

The people most vulnerable to cults are the ones who are not happy with their

lives.

Tyler's happy. Oh, sure.

He gets hit, kicked, and shot at. The woman he dated for six months eloped

his dentist.

His rent was just raised, and he's being audited by the IRS.

Nothing's perfect.

Ben! Just a little Josh.

Just fine, Tyler, and you?

Great.

Anna, what is it?

Anna? I can't believe that Joshua's gone.

How could this happen?

Anna, what's wrong?

I'm just... I'm just tired.

I'm going to take you up to your room.

If anything happened to the baby, Thomas would be very unhappy.

Tyler, what are you doing here?

I was picking up the dirty dishes. That's Anna's job.

Oh, Anna isn't feeling very well.

The baby?

Tyler, you're not getting away with this.

What?

This sloppiness.

You forgot the tray.

I asked the right people and found out you keep your office in town.

What do you want?

Well, before you joined the Future Now Society, you were one of the most

successful corporate lawyers in Atlanta.

Why did you give it up?

You wouldn't understand.

I'm all right.

You're right.

I was successful.

I had the life we're all taught to want, but I felt empty inside, hollow.

So I became what's known as a seeker.

I tried S, Scientology, spent six months in India with various gurus, but

nothing clicked until I met Joshua Bradbury.

From the moment I met Joshua, my life began.

He was a true visionary and the greatest leader of our time.

And very persuasive. The way I hear it, people were standing in line to give him

their money. And he put you at the financial helm of this multi -million

enterprise.

We are a way of life, not an enterprise.

Apparently, the federal government disagrees. They're looking into the

now of societies, investments, commercial properties, fishing fleets,

agencies. The word is that you're about to lose your tax -exempt status.

The federal government has no business interfering with a religious society.

They can if they can prove misappropriation of funds, money

private accounts in Switzerland and the Caymans.

They'll never prove that.

Especially with Joshua Bradbury dead.

You did know the government was making a deal with your former leader.

He was going to throw you all to the wolves.

What are you saying? That Joshua Bradbury's death was a convenience for

How dare you? The police told me that he never dropped charges against an angry

parent before. Who made the call to drop the charges?

I did.

But it was Joshua's decision.

It was in our best interest to avoid bad publicity.

And to make sure that William Austin had no alibi.

Did you make the call that night? Did you make the call to William Austin the

night of the murder about that fake meeting?

I did not.

One of you did.

Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter!

Mewter! Mewter!

He'll pay for what he did.

Martin Washburn told me about your visit.

He did?

Your charges are more than entirely unprovable.

They're ridiculous, Mr. Matlock.

I'm looking forward to Dennis' testimony.

Future! Future!

Future! Future!

Future! Future!

Future! Future!

We have heard testimony that on the afternoon Mr. Bradbury was murdered,

father threatened him.

Is that true?

Your Honor, we have already stipulated that the defendant threatened the

deceased. Said he'd knock his head off and tried to strangle him. And I, for

one, am proud of him. Can we move on? Mr. Matlock.

Proceed.

On the night in question, at 11 o 'clock, you were on your way to Mr.

Bradbury's study to bring him a cup of tea.

Is that right?

Yes.

Will you describe what happened?

When I reached Joshua's study I knocked on the door I Was

about to enter When I heard

What did you hear

a gunshot What happened next

I Dropped the tray

I went into the room, and that's when I saw him.

Joshua slumped over his desk.

And I knew he was dead.

You need a moment to compose yourself?

I'm fine.

This testimony is my duty.

My final service to Joshua.

Proceed.

You discovered the Deceiton's body.

What happened next?

I heard a noise.

When I looked up, I saw someone running through the French doors.

Did you recognize him?

Not at first.

But I ran after him.

He ran through the gardens towards the trees near the fence. I followed.

Did this person have a gun?

Yes.

Dennis, when did you recognize him?

When he got near the trees, he fell.

He turned his face towards me.

And I saw his face.

Dennis, whom did you see?

I saw him.

William Austin.

Thank you, Dennis.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Cross -examine?

No questions, Your Honor.

No questions? What the hell do you mean, no questions?

Order in the court, please.

He said in open court. He saw me. You know damn well he didn't.

It's no use.

He believes what he's saying.

Aren't you supposed to be helping Anna in the kitchen, Tyler?

I was looking for some dirty dishes.

Someone took my papers from my desk.

No, not one of the brethren.

We checked with the phone company.

You've been calling Mr. Matlock.

I don't live here anymore.

Thomas, stop him!

I've gone over this transcript of Dennis Austin's testimony so many times. I

must be missing something.

I can't look at it again. It's so damning.

Is it cold?

I'm going to see Patrick Martin.

Mr. Oldham, how long have you been a member of the Future Now Society?

For a little over five years. And during that period, you've risen to the

position of elder.

Joshua chose me as one of three, yes.

So you would know everything that goes on in this society.

I would think so.

Including the government's investigation into Joshua Bradbury's misappropriation

of funds?

Your Honor, I object.

This is another issue altogether and irrelevant.

It is not irrelevant, Your Honor.

Goes to motive.

Overruled. Proceed, Mr. Matlock.

Now, Mr.

Oldman, is it true that Joshua Bradbury...

Was being investigated by the federal government for allegedly diverting funds

to offshore banks. Yes or no?

Yes.

Now, the night of the murder, you say that you were in your study.

I was in meditation, yes.

Are you sure?

Objection. The question was asked and answered.

Sustained. Mr. Oldham.

You're in charge of the kitchen at the Future Now Society.

The kitchen is part of my responsibility, yes.

A couple of days after Joshua died, you told me that

every night after dinner, he went to his study and

absolutely no one was permitted to disturb him until 11 o 'clock when

Austin brought him his cheese. Is that right?

Yes. Absolutely no one could disturb Joshua Bradbury till 11 o 'clock when

was served.

That's right. Answer me this.

On the night he was murdered, how did he get his tea before Dennis arrived?

He didn't.

He did, and I can prove it. Your Honor.

It's relevant. It's relevant. Mr.

Matlock, proceed.

Dennis told the police in his statement to them that

he went up to the study, knocked on the door, heard the shot, and ran inside.

But he testified in this court yesterday that he went up to the study, knocked

on the door, heard the shot, dropped the tea, and then went inside. So I ask you

again, how did Joshua get his tea?

Before he was murdered.

He didn't.

All right.

What's this?

This is a police photograph of the crime scene. Now look at it. See if you see

anything unusual.

Anything unusual.

Okay, look right there at the edge of the desk. See that?

That's a teacup.

Now, if Dennis dropped his tea outside the door,

how'd that tea get there?

Well, how should I know?

It was probably left over from the afternoon.

Oh, no, no, no. I spoke with the medical examiner, and he said that Joshua had

several sips of tea in him before he was shot. So I asked you again, where did

this tea come from? How should I know? You should know because you brought it.

just before you shot him.

That's not true. Yes, it is.

When my client, Mr. Austin, threatened Mr.

Bradbury, you saw you had your chance.

You knew that Dennis would be coming at 11.

So you brought him his tea a few minutes before 11.

He probably asked you what you were doing there and you made up some excuse.

But when Dennis knocked on that door, you shot him. That's ridiculous. The man

that Dennis saw was his father.

No. The man Dennis believed he saw was his father.

The question is, how could Dennis see someone else fleeing the scene of the

crime and believe he saw his father?

It's impossible.

Really?

I have spoken with a foremost authority.

The subject of brainwashing.

And he not only believes it's possible, he believes it's exactly what happened.

New recruits to the Future Now Society are put through a process which you

called a purification process.

Is that right? It's a spiritual process, yes.

And for the duration of this spiritual process,

You don't allow them to eat or sleep. Is that right? They fast. They keep vigil.

Yes. And they learn to call all non -members of the society by what name?

Answer?

Subversives. Subversives.

So, you don't let them sleep, you don't let them eat, and they believe that all

non -members are evil.

So what you've done, you break them down.

You program their minds. You brainwash them.

By the time these members have finished their purification process,

they think what you want them to think, and they see what you want them to see.

You don't understand. We prepare them for a better world.

Dennis Austin believed he saw his father because that's what

you programmed him to see.

Why would I kill Joshua?

I loved him.

I believe you did.

I believe you did. He was your teacher.

He preached lofty ideals.

New life, new world, new values.

But then he disillusioned you.

Joshua, like so many men... in and out of public life, had a weakness.

He found a soft woman to be very appealing.

He had an affair with your wife, Anna.

Joshua would never do such a despicable thing.

You know, when I realized you were the one who brought the tea, I had to find

out everything I could about you.

So I went to see... Patrick Mars.

And what does he know about me? Not much. Not much.

Not much. But he did suggest that I go see your former wife, Carrie.

Pleasant woman.

Pleasant woman. She told me what she could about the cult.

And she asked me about your life now.

And in passing, I told her that your present wife, Anna, was going to have a

baby. Well, she was shocked.

You know why?

Please don't do this.

You and Carrie didn't have any children, did you?

No. So you took those tests to find out why.

And those tests proved that yours was the infertility problem,

and it was uncorrectable.

Isn't that right? And Anna.

Anna didn't know that.

So when she told you she was pregnant, you knew.

You were not the father.

And you knew that Joshua was the only other person she'd be that intimate

That's a lie.

You knew Joshua was the father, and that's why you killed him. Dennis, tell

it isn't true.

Dennis knows his father did not kill Joshua Bradbury.

Dennis can remember.

What he actually saw Now

he can look back and remember

No you It's

all

over son

Your Honor, in view of the circumstances, the state moves to

against William Austin.

Case dismissed.

This court is adjourned.