Joshua and Eli, two brothers from Gatlin, Nebraska, find themselves in a dire situation as they flee their abusive father. While Joshua urges escape, Eli confronts their father, invoking the supernatural force known as "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" through a pagan Bible. This act results in their father’s gruesome death, his body transformed into a scarecrow by the cornstalks. Subsequently placed in foster care with the Porters in Chicago, the brothers struggle to adapt to urban life, their rural mannerisms and peculiar belongings—such as Eli’s suitcase of corn—drawing attention. Eli’s fervent religious practices further alienate them from their new environment. One night, Eli secretly plants enchanted corn seeds in an abandoned factory near their foster home, summoning immediate rows of corn through his connection to the mysterious entity.