Having lived through traumatizing events during WWII, Father Lankester Merrin takes a sabbatical from the Church to conduct archaeological excavations in British-administered East Africa. Merrin unearths an ancient church have now been built and subsequently immediately buried to maintain evil from the crypt below. The natives believe discovering that the church has unleashed a demon, and begin to violently struggle with the British troops. Merrin has to Whilst the village immediately disintegrates into war and chaos.