Its plot follows a widow (Charles Bateman), who, while traveling through the American Southwest with his young daughter (Geri Reischl) and girlfriend (Capri), arrive in a small California town where a coven of Satanist witches are kidnapping the local children with the intent of transferring their own souls into the children's bodies as a means of achieving immortality.
The film premiered at the Colonial Theatre in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1971, before receiving a wide theatrical release by Columbia Pictures on August 6, 1971.
Unbeknownst to Ben, the town is on edge because 26 of its residents have met violent deaths in the past three days, and numerous children have disappeared.
That night, resident Ed Meadows and his wife, Mildred, are inexplicably killed in their home after one of their daughter's dolls apparently comes to life.
Shortly after, Ed's son Stuart, and daughter, Phyllis, join a group of children outside their home, who escort them to the Barry house.
Now having acquired a child for each member of the coven, Dr. Duncan begins the ritual at the Barry house, entreating Satan to help transfer their souls into the bodies of the young.
When Ben, Pete, and Tobey break down the door to the ceremonial room, they find K. T. and the other children gathered around a cobweb-covered table, along with dolls resembling some of the coven members.
[1][2] Speaking to reporters in Fort Worth, Texas, around the time of the film's release, Jones stated: "Brotherhood of Satan" sounds like your stock monster picture.
[3] Columbia Pictures premiered The Brotherhood of Satan at the Colonial Theatre in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1971; the film screened there for at least two weeks for test market purposes.
[2] The Brotherhood of Satan received a wide theatrical release by Columbia in the United States and Ontario, Canada, on August 6, 1971.
"[2][5] Roger Greenspun, in his review of the film for The New York Times, highlighted some "wonderfully spooky scenes" but wrote that, "the actual brotherhood (and sisterhood) is a pretty dismal affair—a kind of black-magic golden-age club to whom hooded figures serve cocktails before they settle down to their blood and witchcraft.
"[6] Ann Guarino, writing for the New York Daily News, gave the film a score of two-and-a-half out of four stars, criticizing the screenplay as illogical: "You have to forget details to get a few chills out of this one.
"[7] Jeanne Miller of the San Francisco Examiner complimented the film's pacing and production values, calling it "unusually well-made for its genre," but found that, "[...] the exploitation of children for weird Satanic rites is more unnerving than exciting.
[14] The industrial dance group My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult sampled The Brotherhood of Satan in the song "Rivers of Blood, Years of Darkness" from their 1990 Confessions of a Knife album.