The film is set in the fictional town of Gatlin, Nebraska, an agricultural community surrounded by huge Cereal#Farming. In 1980, The town appears to be neglected, except for the church, and residents choose Biblical names over more modern ones. When the corn crop fails one year, the townsfolk turn to prayer to ensure a successful harvest. However, 12-year-old (he was 9 in the book on which this film is based) Isaac Chroner takes all of the children in Gatlin into the cornfields and indoctrinates them into a religious cult based around a bloodthirsty deity called “He Who Walks Behind the Rows”. Isaac and his subordinate, 18-year-old Malachai, lead the children in a revolution, murdering all of the adults (ages 19 and up, since 18-year-olds are seen as halfway between teenager and adult) in town as human sacrifices. Only Job and his sister Sarah refuse to participate, as they can see visions of the future, drawing them on paper.