Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering

The children are being possessed by Josiah, a supernatural child preacher who was burned alive by townspeople decades earlier. His spirit has returned to drain the life force from children to achieve resurrection. The fevers are a symptom of his influence spreading as he prepares to rise again.

Earlier scenes show Grace noticing the children falling ill with fevers that rise and fall in a strange pattern, hinting at a coordinated supernatural event.

Josiah was the illegitimate son of a local woman who was taken in by traveling preachers. They secretly stunted his growth to keep him as a child preacher, but when the truth came out, they abandoned him. Josiah killed the preachers in revenge, and the townspeople burned him alive, sealing his body in a well where it remained for decades.

The elderly sisters Jane and Rosa hint at dark town secrets when they first meet Grace, suggesting buried history.

Mercury is the element that can neutralize Josiah's supernatural power. The story reveals this weakness when Grace and Donald discover that mercury disrupts his ability to draw life force from the children. This is why they load mercury bullets and connect the barn's sprinkler system to a mercury supply for the final confrontation.

Dr. Larson's research at the clinic hints at discovering something about the children's condition that might point to a solution.

The children are being possessed by the spirits of dead townspeople, specifically those who died when Josiah was killed decades earlier. Dr. Larson recognizes the names as belonging to dead children from the town's history. This is part of Josiah's resurrection ritual, he's using the children as vessels for these spirits.

Dr. Larson shows recognition when he hears the children speaking these names, indicating he's aware of the town's dark history.

The blood offerings are part of Josiah's resurrection ritual. He needs the life force from innocent children to return to full power. Marcus, despite being a hemophiliac, sacrifices his blood, and Margaret offers her soul. This ritual enables Josiah to rise from the waters in the barn and achieve complete resurrection.

The children's fevers and strange behavior build toward this gathering, showing Josiah gathering strength.

Margaret is chosen because she offers something more valuable than ordinary blood, she offers her soul. This makes her the perfect sacrifice for Josiah's full resurrection. Her willingness to give her soul is what allows Josiah to complete his transformation and rise from the blood pool.

Margaret's illness mirrors the other children's but appears more severe, suggesting she's central to the plan.

June has recurring nightmares that serve as prophetic visions connected to the town's supernatural history. Her nightmares initially seem like anxiety, but Grace discovers they actually reflect real events happening in town. June's connection to the past events makes her a conduit for warnings about Josiah's return.

The film establishes June's nightmares early, showing them as a mysterious element that gains meaning later.

Donald becomes a suspect in his wife Sandra's murder because he was present when the children attacked. Sandra was killed in front of Marcus, and Donald fled with Marcus while the town descended into chaos. Though innocent, the circumstances make him the primary suspect, forcing him to hide with Jane and Rosa while trying to protect his son.

The sheriff's arrival at the Atkins home and Donald's subsequent flight establish his fugitive status early.

Margaret is actually Grace's biological daughter, whom Grace abandoned as a teenager and left with June to raise. This revelation comes at the end when Grace discovers Margaret barely alive after the confrontation. The secret explains why Grace felt particularly protective toward Margaret throughout the film.

Grace's intense focus on protecting Margaret, despite seeming like just an older sibling relationship, hints at a deeper connection.

Josiah uses his supernatural powers as a child preacher to possess and control the town's children. His spirit draws them toward him through the fevers and illness, eventually leading them to abandon their identities and become vessels for the dead spirits. His influence grows stronger as he prepares for resurrection, commanding them to commit violent acts like killing Sandra and Dr. Larson.

The children's gradual behavioral changes show an escalating influence rather than immediate control.

Marcus, who has hemophilia and cannot clot blood properly, voluntarily offers his blood to Josiah despite knowing it could kill him. He bleeds profusely and collapses near death from the sacrifice. Donald manages to staunch the bleeding just in time to save his son's life before the final confrontation with Josiah concludes.

Marcus's hemophilia is established earlier, making his decision to sacrifice blood a deliberate heroic act.

Grace and Donald execute a two-part plan: they connect the barn's sprinkler system to a mercury supply, and they load mercury bullets. During the confrontation, Grace shoots Josiah with a mercury bullet, triggering the sprinklers to bathe him in mercury while he's weakened. Finally, she kills him with his own scythe. The mercury negates his supernatural powers, making him vulnerable to physical destruction.

Earlier discovery of mercury as Josiah's weakness allows this plan to take shape.