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Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972) Plot Summary & Timeline

Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972) movie poster

Invasion of the Blood Farmers is a 1972 horror film, running 1 hour 18 minutes. This page retells the whole story in 416 words (about 2 minutes to read) and covers 14 key events in order, 8 characters, where and when it is set and 3 themes. Looking for the cast, ratings and where to stream it? See the movie page for Invasion of the Blood Farmers.

to read the plot summary
2 min
key events in the timeline
14
characters profiled
8
themes explained
3
Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 18m
Genre
Horror
Original language
English
No spoilers

What Is Invasion of the Blood Farmers About?

The premise of Invasion of the Blood Farmers in 265 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.

In the mist‑shrouded hills of upstate New York, a quiet farming valley hides a chilling secret. The countryside, with its endless rows of corn and aging barns, feels both timeless and suffocating, as if the land itself is waiting for something to be sown. A whispered obsession with “planting the living and harvesting the dead” permeates the community, turning the ordinary rhythms of harvest into a dark, ritualistic undercurrent that the locals barely acknowledge aloud.

When the outsider arrives, the fragile equilibrium begins to crack. Roy Anderson, a pragmatic scientist who has made his home among the fields, finds his orderly world upended by strange occurrences that hint at something far more sinister than a simple missing‑person case. Across the road, Jenny Anderson, soon to join the family, brings a fresh perspective and an unsettling curiosity that draws her deeper into the valley’s mysteries. Her fiancé, Don Tucker, shares her determination to uncover the truth, even as the isolated town seems to close around them.

The tone of the film is a slow‑burning dread, mixing the rustic charm of rural life with an oppressive sense of being watched. The farmers, outwardly bucolic, are hinted to be driven by a macabre devotion to an ancient, blood‑laden practice, creating an atmosphere where every rustle of leaves and distant lowing feels loaded with meaning. As the trio navigates this unsettling landscape, the audience is left to wonder what price the land demands from those who dare to till it, and whether survival is possible when the very soil seems to hunger for something far more vital than crops.

Full plot

What Happens in Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

The complete story of Invasion of the Blood Farmers, from the first scene to the last, in 416 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 6 cast member pages.

Spoilers ahead

In the small town of Jefferson Valley in upstate New York, a string of civilian disappearances unsettles the community over several weeks. One day, a man covered in blood staggers into a local bar, screams, and then collapses and dies. The town’s resident scientist, Roy Anderson, examines the scene and quickly uncovers a chilling clue: the man’s blood cells are reproducing at an impossibly rapid rate, hinting at something deeply abnormal at work.

That same day, a stranger dressed as a farmer arrives at Roy’s house and is driven off by Roy’s loyal dog, Buster. The farmer, named Egon, proves to be dangerous, beating Buster to death with a cane before dropping a mysterious antique key in the struggle. The next morning, Roy’s daughter-in-law-to-be, Jenny Anderson, discovers Buster’s body hanging outside the front door, a grim omen for a town already on edge. Don Tucker, Jenny’s fiancé, ventures into the nearby woods to search for the culprit and, in the process, finds the same enigmatic key.

As the investigation deepens, it’s revealed that Egon is part of a secret druidic faction known as the Sangroids. Their leader, Creton, has a catastrophic plan to resurrect their long-dead queen, Onhorrid, by kidnapping civilians and transporting them to a secluded farm where the Sangroids drain their blood and feed it to the queen. The goal is to restore her purity and power with the help of a yet-to-be-found host. Creton scolds Egon for losing the crucial artifact known as the Key of Menanon, a key piece in their ritual.

Don brings the key to Roy for identification, and Roy calls in a friend to determine the metal’s identity. The helper, a man named Kinski, is revealed to be a Sangroid under the alias Sontag, and he hands the key back to Creton after convincing Roy that the object is nothing more than a cheap toy. The plot thickens as Roy’s experiments reveal a chemical trick: a mixture of iodine and household ammonia can cause the dead man’s blood cells to shrink at a startling rate, a discovery that becomes crucial to stopping the Sangroids.

On a date, Don Tucker and Jenny are kidnapped by the Sangroids, who intend to use Jenny as the queen’s host. Roy learns of the kidnapping and tracks the Sangroids to a quarry, where the queen is resurrected in a grisly ceremony. In a decisive move, Roy applies the iodine–ammonia mixture to the queen, destroying her and bringing a brutal end to the Sangroid threat.

Timeline

Invasion of the Blood Farmers Timeline: Every Key Event in Order

14 key events in the order they happen, from “Disappearances shake Jefferson Valley” to “The queen is destroyed; Sangroids are killed”. 14 events name a place, across 13 locations.

  1. 1

    Disappearances shake Jefferson Valley

    Civilians in the small town of Jefferson Valley begin vanishing over several weeks, creating fear and a growing sense that something sinister is at work. Investigators search for clues, but the pattern remains elusive. The disappearances set the stage for the investigation that follows.

    When:early in the timeline Where:Jefferson Valley, upstate New York

  2. 2

    Bloodied man enters bar and dies

    A man covered in blood stumbles into the local bar, screaming before collapsing. The shocking death triggers the investigation into the strange occurrences. Its grotesque scene hints at a biological threat behind the vanishings.

    When:the same day as the disappearances worsen Where:Local bar, Jefferson Valley

  3. 3

    Roy detects rapid blood cell reproduction

    Local scientist Roy Anderson analyzes the victim's blood and discovers cells reproducing at an impossibly fast rate. The discovery confirms a biological anomaly rather than a simple infection. This finding becomes a crucial lead in connecting the events.

    When:the same day as the bar incident Where:Roy's laboratory, Jefferson Valley

  4. 4

    Egon confronts Roy's home; Buster dies

    A strange farmer named Egon approaches Roy's house and is chased off by Roy's dog, Buster. In the confrontation, the farmer beats Buster to death with a cane. As he leaves, Egon drops a mysterious antique key on the ground.

    When:the same day as the bar incident Where:Roy's house and nearby woods

  5. 5

    Jenny finds Buster’s body

    The next morning, Jenny discovers Buster strung up outside Roy's front door. The grisly sight deepens the family’s fear and intensifies the investigation into who is harming their town. Roy and others begin to suspect a link to the earlier bar incident.

    When:the next morning Where:Front of Roy's house, Jefferson Valley

  6. 6

    Don finds the antique key

    Don, Jenny's fiancé, ventures into the woods to search for the culprit and discovers the antique key dropped by the farmer. He recognizes it as a potential clue connecting the farmyard incident to the disappearances. This key becomes a central artifact that ties several strands together.

    When:the following morning Where:Woods near Roy's house

  7. 7

    Sangroids revealed and their plan surfaces

    Creton, the Sangroid leader, plots to resurrect their dead queen Onhorrid by kidnapping civilians and draining their blood at a farm where they perform meetings. Egon, a farmer, is part of their circle and has already misplaced a key needed for their ritual. The alliance points to a larger, supernatural threat behind the disappearances.

    When:in the days after the key is found Where:Sangroids' farm and meetings site

  8. 8

    Key of Menanon lost and scolded

    Creton reprimands Egon for losing the Key of Menanon, a crucial component of the resurrection ritual. Don's later discovery of the key heightens the Sangroids' urgency to retrieve it. Within Roy's circle, a sense of treachery grows as outsiders begin to play with dangerous artifacts.

    When:shortly after the key is reported missing Where:Sangroids' domain

  9. 9

    Roy seeks metal identity for the key

    Don shows Roy the key, and Roy calls his friend Kinski to identify the metal. Unbeknownst to Roy, Kinski is a Sangroid who feigns ignorance and soon retrieves the key for Creton. The deception allows the Sangroids to recover the artifact without Roy realizing the betrayal.

    When:the same day as the key exchange Where:Roy's home and Kinski's location

  10. 10

    Kinski reveals true allegiance

    Kinski, who goes by Sontag, manipulates Roy by convincing him the key is just a cheap toy. He then takes the key back to Creton to further the Sangroids' plans. The betrayal underscores the danger Roy faces from inside his own circle.

    When:shortly after the key is identified Where:Kinski's location; Creton's domain

Show the other 4 events of Invasion of the Blood Farmers
  1. 11

    Iodine-ammonia mix shows a vulnerability

    Roy discovers that a mixture of iodine and household ammonia makes the blood cells of the dead man shrink rapidly. The finding hints at a way to counter the Sangroids and becomes a potential weapon for the climactic confrontation. It also confirms that the mystery is solvable with the right chemical approach.

    When:the next day after the key exchange Where:Roy's laboratory

  2. 12

    Don and Jenny are kidnapped

    During a date, Don and Jenny are kidnapped by the Sangroids to serve as hosts for the queen. The kidnapping raises the stakes and gives Roy a clear, urgent mission. The town's danger comes to a head as the ritual nears completion.

    When:later that week Where:Town and farm outskirts

  3. 13

    Roy pursues the Sangroids to the quarry

    Roy tracks the Sangroids to a quarry where the queen is being resurrected. He prepares to intervene as the ritual progresses, setting up the climactic confrontation. The quarry becomes the stage for the decisive showdown.

    When:the night of the kidnapping Where:Quarry

  4. 14

    The queen is destroyed; Sangroids are killed

    Roy disrupts the resurrection by applying the iodine-ammonia mixture to the queen. The queen disintegrates and the Sangroids are killed, bringing an end to the immediate threat. The town is saved, and the mystery is resolved.

    When:final confrontation Where:Quarry

Characters

Who Are the Main Characters in Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

8 characters, among them Dr. Roy Anderson (Norman Kelley), Jenny Anderson (Tanna Hunter) and Don Tucker (Bruce Detrick): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.

  • DR

    Dr. Roy Anderson (Norman Kelley)

    Played by Norman Kelley

    A local scientist who discovers that a dead man's blood cells reproduce at an impossibly fast rate. He links the killings to the Sangroids and leads the charge to stop them, relying on reason and persistence to protect his family and community.

    • 🧠 Investigator
    • 🧬 Scientist
    • 🛡️ Protector
  • JA

    Jenny Anderson (Tanna Hunter)

    Played by Tanna Hunter

    Roy's daughter who becomes entangled when her fiancé Don pursues the culprit. She is kidnapped by the Sangroids to serve as a host for the resurrected queen and becomes a focal point of the investigation.

    • 👩‍👧 Family
    • 🕵️‍♀️ Target
    • 💪 Courage
  • DT

    Don Tucker (Bruce Detrick)

    Played by Bruce Detrick

    Jenny's fiancé who searches the woods for clues and discovers the key. He is kidnapped by the Sangroids, becoming another catalyst for Roy's fight against the cult.

    • 💑 Fiancé
    • 🧭 Rescuer
  • E(

    Egon (Jack Neubeck)

    Played by Jack Neubeck

    A farmer who is revealed to be a Sangroid. He inadvertently drops the Key of Menanon, tying him to the resurrection plot and the cult’s pursuit.

    • 🧟 Cultist
    • 🗝️ Key-bearer
  • C(

    Creton (Paul Craig Jennings)

    Played by Paul Craig Jennings

    Leader of the Sangroids who masterminds the resurrection plan and scolds Egon for losing the Key of Menanon.

    • 👑 Leader
    • 🧭 Mastermind
  • S(

    Sontag (Richard Erickson)

    Played by Richard Erickson

    A Sangroid who operates under the alias Sontag and retrieves the key for Creton, guiding the cult's schemes.

    • 🕵️‍♂️ Spy
    • 🗝️ Key-bearer
  • QO

    Queen Onhorrid (Cynthia Fleming)

    Played by Cynthia Fleming

    The Sangroids' resurrected queen who will be restored to purity through the host, fueled by blood and ritual.

    • 👑 Queen
    • 🩸 Vessel
  • PC

    Police Chief Frank Spano (Frank Iovieno)

    Played by Frank Iovieno

    The town's police chief who leads the investigation into the disappearances and the Sangroids' activity.

    • 👮 Authority
    • 🕵️‍♂️ Investigator
Setting

Where and When Is Invasion of the Blood Farmers Set?

Invasion of the Blood Farmers is set in Jefferson Valley and Upstate New York. Here is why the place matters to the story.

Where

Jefferson Valley, Upstate New York

Jefferson Valley is a quiet upstate New York town that becomes the center of a chilling mystery. Disappearances ripple through the community, and a bar scene with a blood-streaked arrival signals that something sinister is afoot. Behind the town's normal facade, a druidic cult called the Sangroids operates in secret, using the local farm as their meeting ground.

  • 🏘️ Small town
  • 🗝️ Ancient relics
  • 🧪 Scientific anomalies
  • 🩸 Blood rituals
Themes

What Are the Themes of Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Blood Rituals, Science vs Occult and Resurrection.

  1. 01

    Blood Rituals

    Blood is the currency of power for the Sangroids as they drain civilians to feed the resurrected queen. The queen Onhorrid’s return hinges on pouring blood into her body through the host, a ritual that reveals both ritualistic cruelty and a perverse purity myth. The film uses this macabre process to explore fear of contagion and the limits of humanity when confronted with ancient cults. The destruction of the queen at the quarry marks the breakdown of the ritual and the cult's control.

  2. 02

    Science vs Occult

    Dr. Roy Anderson represents rational inquiry, diagnosing a bizarre phenomenon: blood cells reproducing at an impossibly fast rate. He experiments with an iodine-ammonia mixture that makes blood cells shrink, using science to counter the Sangroids' mysticism. The tension between deduction and superstition drives the investigation, exposing how fear can motivate both skepticism and zeal. The narrative demonstrates the power and peril of scientific method when faced with an ancient occult threat.

  3. 03

    Resurrection

    Resurrection is the central aim of Creton and the Sangroids, seeking to restore Queen Onhorrid to purity via a living host. To accomplish this, they kidnap civilians and drain their blood, funneling it into the queen at their farm-grounds. A missing Key of Menanon and a hidden quarry site underscore the ritual's complexity and the cult's arrogance. The plan is sabotaged when Roy’s mixture destroys the queen, ending the Sangroids’ threat.

Tone & mood

What Kind of Film Is Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.

Tone
Dark
Pacing
Steady
Story
Straightforward
Intensity
High
Ending
Happy

A grim and unsettling horror experience, characterized by its steady pacing and graphic depictions of a rural community terrorized by a blood-harvesting cult, building tension towards a violent confrontation.

  • gruesome
  • suspenseful
  • gritty
  • atmospheric
  • brutal
  • paranoid
  • occult ritual
  • survival horror
  • scientific investigation
  • secret society

Content notes: animal death, decapitation, ritualistic murder, graphic violence, blood and gore.

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Where to watch

Where to Watch Invasion of the Blood Farmers

Stream it on Bloodstream and Cineverse, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Fandango At Home. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

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Read next

Movies Like Invasion of the Blood Farmers With a Plot Summary

5 films close to Invasion of the Blood Farmers in story and themes that have a full plot summary here: Blood Harvest (1987) and I Drink Your Blood (1971) lead.

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FAQ

Invasion of the Blood Farmers Plot Questions

4 quick answers about Invasion of the Blood Farmers, taken from the plot summary, character guide and setting on this page.

What is Invasion of the Blood Farmers about?

In the mist‑shrouded hills of upstate New York, a quiet farming valley hides a chilling secret. The countryside, with its endless rows of corn and aging barns, feels both timeless and suffocating, as if the land itself is waiting for something to be sown.

Read the full plot summary

When and where does Invasion of the Blood Farmers take place?

Invasion of the Blood Farmers is set in Jefferson Valley and Upstate New York. Jefferson Valley is a quiet upstate New York town that becomes the center of a chilling mystery. Disappearances ripple through the community, and a bar scene with a blood-streaked arrival signals that something sinister…

The setting explained

Who are the main characters in Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

The story follows Dr. Roy Anderson (Norman Kelley) (played by Norman Kelley), Jenny Anderson (Tanna Hunter) (played by Tanna Hunter), Don Tucker (Bruce Detrick) (played by Bruce Detrick) and Egon (Jack Neubeck) (played by Jack Neubeck); the character guide covers 8 characters in all.

All the characters

What are the main themes of Invasion of the Blood Farmers?

The summary picks out 3 themes: Blood Rituals, Science vs Occult and Resurrection.

The themes explained

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