The story begins in 1963 in the arid town of Gatlin, Nebraska, where a severe drought has gripped the area. In the heart of the vast cornfields, a young boy, who claims to be a prophet of an ancient deity known as "He Who Walks Behind The Rows," gathers the local children in a tent. He delivers a chilling message that the sinful, blasphemous adults are the cause of their misery, reminiscent of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The boy convinces the children that to end their suffering, they must sacrifice every adult over the age of nineteen—a horrifying demand that leads to the formation of a death cult around this belief.
Fast forward twelve years to 1975, where a couple, Burt, a Vietnam veteran played by David Anders, and his anti-war activist wife Vicky, portrayed by Kandyse McClure, are traveling a deserted road near Gatlin, eager to celebrate their second honeymoon in California. Their journey takes a dark turn when they accidentally hit a young boy named Joseph, portrayed by Ramington Jennings, who stumbles out of the corn. Upon discovering the boy's throat has been slashed, they hurriedly wrap his body and place it in their trunk. Burt, armed with a shotgun, investigates the gruesome scene and discovers Joseph's bloodied suitcase among the corn.
As they seek help to report the tragic incident, they are being watched by Isaac, the boy preacher played by Preston Bailey, and his loyal follower Malachai, portrayed by Daniel Newman. Reaching an abandoned gas station only to find the phones inoperable, Vicky opens Joseph's suitcase and uncovers a tribal idol made of corn, signifying a dark connection to the cult.
In a small clearing in the cornfields, Isaac openly discusses their need to sacrifice Burt and Vicky, just as they did with Joseph, renamed “Ahaz,” who was deemed cursed for attempting to escape the cult's grip. Upon entering town, Burt and Vicky find the eerily deserted streets and a calendar stuck on 1963. Their unsettling discovery intensifies when they find a church still engaged in dark rituals that appear to echo the cult's malevolence.
Ignoring Vicky's warnings, Burt scours the church and encounters strange biblical inscriptions along with a record of the townsfolk's births and deaths. Vicky, meanwhile, is surrounded by Malachai and other boys. A violent confrontation ensues, resulting in Vicky being wounded and captured while Burt manages to fight back, leading him on a desperate escape into the unforgiving cornfields.
As night descends, the children, now emboldened by Isaac, pursue Burt with intentions of sacrificial violence. Amidst his struggles, Burt experiences a mix of trauma from his past and a surreal battle against the children. The once innocent realm of corn becomes a maze of horror as Bert faces haunting visions before unearthing the somber reality of Vicky's fate—her lifeless body has been twisted into a scarecrow.
Ultimately, Isaac delivers messages from "He Who Walks Behind The Rows," declaring Burt's demise must occur, and the age requirement for sacrifice has shifted downward as punishment for their failings. After the grim events unfold, the fate of Burt becomes intertwined with a shocking conclusion that leaves him, along with Vicky, positioned as grotesque decorations on display for the sinister forces at play.
In a haunting epilogue, with a flicker of hope extinguished, Malachai leads a procession of eighteen-year-olds into the cornfields to offer themselves, showcasing the grip that this dark ideology continues to hold over the youth of Gatlin. As the cycles of darkness loom larger, one of them, Ruth, finds herself beset by a troubling vision of destruction—a stark representation of the continuous struggle against the cult's ominous influence.
