From Hell It Came

Kimo is accused of poisoning his father with medicine provided by American scientists. The true murderers, Tano and Maranka, sentence him to be executed by having a knife driven into his heart. He begs his wife Korey to exonerate him, but she denies his innocence.

Kimo is executed and buried in a hollow tree trunk. The burial seeds the strand of island legend about a vengeful entity that will return as a tree monster.

American doctor Terry Mason arrives to help conduct research and treat natives affected by the plague. She meets Dr. William Arnold and is introduced to Professor Clark and Mrs. Kilgore, who runs a trading post. Norgu visits the lab with his wife Dori, who is recovering from the plague and suffering radiation burns from nuclear fallout.

Terry and William visit Kimo's grave and discover a tree stump growing from it. The stump is radioactive and has a pulsing heartbeat.

The scientists remove the stump from the ground and bring it to the laboratory. Terry injects it with a formula to keep it alive while its pulse weakens.

By the next day the stump has become a Tabanga and escapes from the laboratory. Its appearance confirms the island's legends are coming to life.

Korey laments Maranka's coldness toward her and, in jealousy, tries to attack Naomi. The Tabanga intervenes, killing Korey by throwing her into quicksand, and then fatally throttling Chief Maranka.

Tano and the natives lure the Tabanga into a pit and set it aflame, but the creature survives the blaze and returns. It then hurls Tano down a hill, where he is impaled on a woody plant.

At the natives' urging, the scientists go out searching for the Tabanga. The Tabanga abducts Terry and tries to throw her into the quicksand. Eddie, an American who had previously worked nearby, fires shots at the Tabanga, and a bullet hits the knife still protruding from its chest, driving it fully into its heart.

The Tabanga sinks into the quicksand, dead. William and Terry embrace as the danger subsides.

A native asks Professor Clark if he is willing to replace Tano as the island's new witch doctor. Clark considers the request.

With the Tabanga threat ended, the island's community and the scientists reassess the balance between medicine, tradition, and leadership; the future remains uncertain as healing and caution continue to shape their path.