Original subtitles

My name is Thomas Vail, or at least it was.

I'm a photographer. I had it all.

A wife, Alison.

Friends, a career.

And in one moment, it was all taken away.

All because of a single photograph.

I have it, they want it, and they will do anything to get the negative.

I'm keeping this diary as proof that these events are real.

I know they are, they have to be.

It's a thin thread that connects me to the life I once had.

Between odd jobs, I spend some time researching what little information I do have.

And I've come across a number of references to a Dr. Walter G. Gullamy,

the first face that I can associate with this nightmare.

The heart of Dr Bellamy's research is something called the Alpha Spike.

From the little I could find,

it appears that he began his work at a private school in New England.

Using the alias Jack Griffin, I've secured employment at Sperling Academy,

the birth site of Dr Bellamy's study.

You got this one down. All right, girls. Keep it passing. Let's go, guys.

Let's go. Let's go.

You're supposed to be picking up the litter, Mr. Griffin.

Well, there's just not much to pick up. They're a pretty tidy bunch.

We do try to encourage a sense of community.

One person litters, and... There goes the neighborhood, man.

Let's just say it makes things unpleasant for the rest of the group.

It is something to see, isn't it?

Every move in harmony and synchronization.

Well, I wouldn't know. I was always a kid who kind of colored outside the lines.

Ah.

But then again, we aren't preparing our students

here at Sperling to be ground skaters.

You're supposed to pass!

Get off me!

You're not supposed to keep the ball to yourself!

What should you have done? Stop it. Get up.

But, sir, he kept the ball to himself. He tried to score on his own, sir.

He put himself before the team. That may be.

But it's not your place to administer discipline.

But, sir, he cost us the point. He should have passed.

Someone help him to the infirmary.

The rest of you back to morning routine. Presentation is in one hour.

Excellent job.

Well done.

Dismissed.

Something you wish you never had to see. Do you know the kid?

No, I've seen him around. I've never talked to him.

Nothing particularly noticeable about him?

No, around here, noticeable kind of runs against the rules.

Standing out isn't something they really approve of.

It's all very... Uniform.

Yeah. What time did you find him?

Uh, just under an hour ago, just quarter to nine.

You're the groundskeeper.

You, uh, have a lot of grounds to keep indoors at 8.45 in the morning?

Well, the circuit breakers are in this building.

They run all the sprinklers.

They're in the chapel.

No, they're in a utility room.

It's in the basement.

So then what brought you to the chapel?

You have some irresistible urge to make up for past sins?

No, I saw some kids coming out of the building, and I...

Frankly, I was surprised because everybody's supposed

to be out on the field for presentation.

You recognize the kids?

Oh, there were three of them. Two of them, I don't know by name.

And the third one is Kyle Manx.

I'm sorry, Mr. Griffin, but you must be mistaken.

I was out on the field with the other students for presentation.

Is there any chance you might have made a mistake in all the confusion?

They were there.

Excuse us a minute, will you?

What about you guys? It's morning, sir.

We always have a presentation in the mornings.

50 demerits if you miss.

We were there, sir.

Any of you kids see these three out on the field this morning?

Yes, sir. Kyle stands next to me in formation, sir. Yes, sir.

They were out there this morning, sir. Yes, sir, they were out there with us.

He was on the field, sir. Yeah, I saw him, too.

All right, thanks. You can go.

You two can take off.

Kyle.

You have any thoughts as to why Mr.

Griffin would lie about seeing the three of you

in that building just before he found the body?

I think he's probably just mistaken, sir. There are a lot of students around here.

Rigorous dress code, hair length code. People make mistakes.

Yes, they do.

Did you know the Gannon boy?

Danny? Danny?

Yes, sir, a little.

Any thoughts of why he might have done this?

Danny wasn't very happy here at Sperling, sir.

He never really fit in with the group.

Maybe he couldn't take the pressure.

Okay, thanks. That's all.

Thank you, sir.

He's lying.

You just stay put for a while until we close things up, huh? I'll be in touch.

What time is it?

Seven o'clock. Assembly calls in 30 minutes.

You are aware, Mr. Griffin,

that school policy requires everyone to be in their assigned quarters after curfew.

Faculty and staff included. I must have missed that chapter. Thanks for the tip.

The disciplinary committee regards violation of curfew

as a serious transgression of school policy.

Really?

How do they regard lying?

As squad leader, the underclassmen...

It disturbs me when I see a staff member asleep in a student dormitory.

It's my responsibility to report anything that might look questionable.

Let me just tell you something.

This slick act of yours only goes so far.

The truth has a way of coming out.

The truth? Mm-hmm.

Apparently you haven't grasped how things work at Sperling, sir.

The truth is what the community can accept.

Your word against mine.

They're best and brightest.

We're groundskeepers.

Unity, commitment, strength.

Well, can't be late for assembly.

All beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.

For purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.

America, America, God shed his grace on thee.

And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Brotherhood.

It is the gift that keeps us strong, unified.

People working together as a team with a unity of purpose.

Unity, commitment, strength.

The key to the success of any group rests on these cornerstones.

What is unity?

Unity is a cohesive team. Without unity, we are weak.

We are individual, without strength.

What is the purpose of commitment?

Commitment leads to purity of purpose and strength.

And where do we get our strength?

Unity, commitment, strength!

Unity, commitment, strength!

Remember, you are the best.

You are the brightest.

And with fervent dedication to the principles taught

to you here at Sperling, the future will be you.

Sheriff Wade will be on campus conducting... In my day,

it was the Pledge of Allegiance and how early we

were going to skip out of class to grab a smoke.

Haven't you heard smoking's bad for you?

Your full cooperation is expected.

Dismissed.

Sweet kid.

The best and the brightest.

He can make things pretty sticky for you, however.

How's that?

I ran a check on you when I got back to town.

Couldn't find squat on anybody named Jack Griffin.

Can't smoke in here.

Come on.

My name isn't Jack Griffin.

Look, there's some people trying to find me, and I don't want to be found.

You don't have to worry. I'm not a criminal.

Okay, so you're not a criminal.

Who are you?

I gotta fill out at least one page if we end up having a hearing on this thing.

Why do you have to have a hearing if it's a suicide?

Maybe because it's looking less and less like it is a suicide.

Then you don't believe the kids.

Look, my testicular reaction to that group is that they're all a bunch of

elite little turds whose daddies have too much money and too little time.

Off the top, I'd pick you 10 out of 10 times to go have a beer with.

But shooting the breeze doesn't answer the questions I've

got as to just who you are and what you're doing here.

It's personal. Not anymore.

My name is Thomas Vail.

Okay.

I run Thomas Vail. Is this gonna be another dead end? That's my name.

Whatever you find... or don't find...

I'm telling you the truth.

Okay.

Where does that leave the kids? The kids, they won't betray the unity of purpose,

commitment to unity of strength.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Harmony is community. Community is strength. A voice raised against the group.

The community must prevail.

There is strength in numbers.

The individual is alone.

What is good for the community is good for everyone. Harmony is community.

Community is strength.

A voice raised against the group must be silenced.

The community must prevail.

There is strength in numbers.

Subliminal induction techniques.

Given a properly selected group of adolescents,

there should be no problem in diminishing individual drive and channeling

it into a desire to cooperate and work within the group.

During the early phases of testing,

we discovered that SI wasn't always 100% effective.

I don't know.

If you look at your handouts,

you'll notice the consistency in what I call the alpha spike.

Students demonstrating a marked alpha spike response are predisposed toward SI.

Mr. Griffin, can I speak to you for a minute?

Yeah, yeah.

Hang on a second. I found that oral induction yielded

much better results than visual induction.

After several tests on these subjects,

the use of sleep-induced subliminal hypnosis proved to be the most efficacious.

I didn't know who else to talk to.

It's about Kyle.

Vicki, can't this wait till tomorrow?

I think Kyle might have killed Danny Gannon.

Come in.

Tell me what happened.

I heard Kyle talking to the other boys, the ones that you said he was with.

He told them that they all knew what happened at the chapel,

and that if either of them said anything to anyone, they'd end up like Danny.

I'm so frightened.

Well, Vicki, does Kyle know that you overheard him saying this?

No.

I don't know. I don't think so.

Well, all right, then he has no reason to want to hurt you.

You don't know him, Mr. Griffin.

Nobody does.

You don't know what he's really like.

You won't tell him I was here?

No, no, of course I won't.

I think he did it, Mr. Griffin.

I really think he killed Dan. Okay.

All right, hey, hey, hey.

Listen, Vicki, I... I can help you, but not like this.

I...

You have to go. You have to go back.

I'll call Sheriff Wade first thing in the morning.

Please, just hold me.

I need to be held.

I'll do anything you want.

If you'll just let me stay.

Can I just talk to you for a second?

Perfect.

Just finished the chapter.

How do you manage to always be at the right place at the right time?

Why are you doing this, Kyle? I mean, what do you want from me?

Well, I got what I want. I picked him up an hour ago. It really turned out great.

You're the one photogenic dude, you know that? Come on, come on. Look,

you know the photos are worthless. You know nothing happened.

I don't need pictures of her and you and flagrante delecto.

The testimony will be graphic enough.

How you filled her with champagne, took her to your room, raped her.

By the way, you know she's only 17?

Please. Look, I got enough problems.

Just tell me the way you want to play this. If

you want me to leave Sperling, I'll leave.

Not a chance.

I want you to stay here and be my dog.

When I say fetch, you'll fetch.

When I say sit, you'll sit.

When I say go into town and bring me back some single malt scotch,

you'll not only do it, you'll pay for it.

Out of your own pathetic salary.

I got no choice.

But if I say no, I end up like Danny Gannon, right?

A smart dog.

I like that.

Danny learned a little secret about this place, and he couldn't handle it.

Some people just can't let things lie.

Have to report any irregularity to an authority.

Makes him feel safe.

Is that why you killed him?

Danny disobeyed a direct order.

I told him to back off, but he wouldn't. I guess that still pisses me off.

You won't make the same mistake, will you, dog?

Whatever you say, Cal.

That's all.

Oh, hey, actually, you know, there is one thing you can get on right away.

Call Sheriff Wade and tell him you were mistaken

about what you saw outside the chapel.

What am I supposed to tell him when he asks me why I changed my mind?

What's your problem, dog?

Danny disobeyed in a direct order. I told him to back off.

What do you want? I want answers. What is this place? What is this place?

Spurling. Who runs it?

Who supports what you're doing here? The parents of the children who cost tuition.

Who supported Walter Bellamy's research into the alpha spike?

Who's behind the subliminal induction program?

Where did you get that idea? Cut the crap, Gordon.

I know you're brainwashing these kids. You're programming them.

You're trying to create perfect little soldiers

to fit whatever the hell your cause might be.

Who are they? Who do you work for? I don't know what you're talking about.

Maybe the loving parents of those children will when I tell them their

kids are about to be turned into the future zombies of America.

Who do you think's going to listen to a disgruntled employee, a drifter,

ranting on and on about brainwashing, huh?

Exactly no one would be my guest.

It's more than just brainwashing, Gordon. You can add murder to the list.

That's right.

I know enough to open an investigation that's gonna

bring this school crashing down on your head.

What do you want to know?

How did you know Griffin was here?

I know everything that goes on at Sperling.

Everything.

I've been here for, what, four years now?

You should know me better.

I may not graduate top ten in the class.

But I've got something none of the others have.

What's that, charisma?

No.

Earplugs.

You know.

Of course I know.

How about the others?

How far does it go?

No, buddy.

I made sure of that.

Danny Gannon?

Danny was gonna blow the whistle.

I don't get it.

I don't want it to stop.

I don't have a problem with your brave new world. I like it.

It's perfect.

You create absolute followers, soldiers.

Only thing missing, someone to lead them.

You.

Beats the hell out of being captain of the football team.

Where does that leave us?

It's like Griffin was saying.

You don't want anybody to find out what really goes on here.

Pandora's box and all that.

Meaning what?

Meaning you and I are going to have a special relationship from now on.

You can't blackmail me. Yes, I can.

I just did.

You're going to be my dog, Gordon.

When I say fetch, you'll fetch.

Wait, wait, listen to me, man. Listen, I'm truly listening to you.

You've lied from the start.

We've got photographs and a sworn statement from Vicki. I never touched the girl.

Listen, I swear to you, she came to my room on

the orders of Kyle Manx. He took the photos.

Wrong. Danny Gannon took the photographs. No.

The headmaster himself gave them to me.

He found them in Danny's room. What? You're a real scum. You know that?

Forcing yourself on a teenage girl, threatening her with a life.

That's not what happened.

She didn't have the courage to come forward, but Danny did.

Oh, come on, come on. Wait, give me a break. That's crazy. No, that's evidence.

No, listen, you want evidence, I've got a tape.

Kyle Manx killed Danny Gannon.

You have a tape.

All right.

Let's hear it. I...

It's not here.

I don't have... It's hidden.

We gotta go get it.

Come on, listen to me. The headmaster knows the whole story.

So now the headmaster is in on this. Listen, listen.

Wait, listen to me, man. They're brainwashing those kids.

I'm talking about real brainwashing. Hypnosis.

You know, that speech you hear about unity and commitment and strength.

If they're hearing that subliminally while they sleep, the place is a factory.

You are a real piece of work, aren't you?

Go tell it to your lawyer.

Come on, wait, let me play the tape.

Listen, man, come on.

I'm not a killer.

I think you... You know that.

Just give me the benefit of the doubt.

I did, and now I'm doing my job.

The rest is up to the courts.

So on behalf of the faculty and staff of Sperling Academy,

we would like to invite you to our annual technology fair.

The students will be presenting projects which... We'll finish this later tonight.

Yes.

Yes, sir, he's our groundskeeper,

and I don't mind saying he was about to become a bit of a nuisance,

but not to worry, I took care of the problem.

Tom Vail?

No, I never heard of him.

But he said his name was Jack Griffin, and I didn't know that...

No, it's too late for that, sir. He's in the legal system now.

No, sir.

No, sir.

Yes, sir.

Sheriff Wade.

Yeah, he's here.

What?

You sure we're talking about the same guy?

Yeah, no, no, it's just, no, it's nothing.

No, no, he's not going anywhere, believe me.

Well, hell, you guys got jurisdiction. Come get them.

All right, we'll be ready.

Yeah.

You're a real popular guy.

Seems the FBI has several outstanding warrants on you.

Trust me, there's no warrants out for me. Of course not.

Think about it. When you ran Thomas Vale, you got nothing, right?

And now they call, and now there are warrants.

They told you my name, didn't they? I mean, you didn't tell them.

How the hell did they even know I was here?

I don't know.

They probably tracked you through the school. No, no.

It's because the guys you talk to are not the feds.

Really?

And who the hell are they?

It's a long story.

Eight months ago, I was in a restaurant having dinner with my wife, Allison.

Yeah.

Kyle, what's going on?

Who are these men?

Tom, you're taking a hell of a chance, aren't you, telling me this? I mean,

how do you know that I'm not one of those people?

I don't.

And now I'm supposed to believe that these same

people are coming here posing as federal agents, right?

They are going to look, walk, and talk like the real thing.

I have all the documentation, but it'll be an act.

I'll tell you what I think.

I think somewhere on the road to reality, you took a left turn.

Get your shirt.

Turn around.

Where's your car?

Get out.

Turn right.

Just around the front of the car.

What are you gonna do, Tom? Put a bullet in my head and dump my body in the weeds?

We're gonna get my tape, and you're gonna listen to it.

Danny disobeyed a direct order.

I told him to back off, but he wouldn't.

You won't make the same mistake, will you, dog?

Whatever you say, Kyle.

Thank God.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna get in my car, and you're gonna disappear.

Dispatch, this is C4. Have two units meet me at Sperling Academy.

I want a warrant for the arrest of Kyle Menks, M-E-N-C-K-S.

Also, detain Headmaster Gordon for questioning.

Roger, C4.

Copy.