While Mueller, the village schoolteacher, is reading in the woods, a little girl is abducted by a woman and taken to a forbidding castle. The men of the village mass outside the castle and force their way in, finding Count Mitterhaus and the woman inside. They drive a stake through the heart of the Count but, as he dies, he utters a curse on the village. The woman escapes into the woods; she is Mueller's wife, Anna. The villagers set about destroying the castle but, unbeknown to them, Anna goes back and drags the Count down to the cellar. There she drips her blood onto him, bringing him back to life momentarily, and he commands her to find his kinsman Emil and the Circus of Nights. Explosions are heard and she escapes through the cellars.

Fifteen years later. The villagers of Schtettel are dying of an unknown disease; some think it is because of the Count's curse. To contain the disease, the village has been sealed off by roadblocks, but somehow a circus gets through. The doctor, Kersh, rides out to fetch medicine and manages to get past the roadblocks. That night the circus gives its first performance, featuring an erotic dance and a panther that transforms into a man. This is Emil. After the show, he seduces Rosa, the Burgermeister's daughter, taking her to his cage, where he bites her neck.

The next day, the circus performers secretly disinter the body of the Count and swear revenge on the villagers. Later, the circus performs again. The Burgermeister is invited to enter a tent containing 'The Mirror of Life'. It seems to be just a hall of mirrors, but in the last mirror he sees the Count attacking him and collapses.

Three of the villagers pay the circus clown to lead them through the forest to escape but he deserts them and the panther kills them. Mueller's daughter, Dora, comes across their mutilated bodies on her way back to the village, having left her studies in the city. That night, the gypsy woman lets two boys see The Mirror of Life; later their dead bodies are found with bite wounds in their necks. The Burgermeister, still delirious, goes out to kill the circus animals. He shoots the chimpanzee and the tiger, then shoots at the panther which turns into Emil. The Burgermeister dies.

The gypsy woman appears and her face transforms into that of Anna, Mueller's wife. Emil takes Rosa to where the Count's body is hidden; there he bites her neck and puts her body on top of the Count. Back at the circus, Anton and Dora go to look at the Mirror of Life. Dora disappears through the mirror with two of the vampires but she is wearing a crucifix and the vampires recoil. Dora faints and Anton finds her.

Doctor Kersh returns to the town. He thinks the disease is rabies carried by bats and he says he has seen proof of death by vampires in other towns which the circus visited.

The vampires attack Dora in a church but Anton saves her. Dora is left with a servant and the men arm themselves to attack the circus performers. The strong man kills the servant and carries Dora off to the cave. At the circus, the villagers find the bodies of the circus dancers which have been bled dry to feed the vampires. The villagers shoot the strong man and go to the crypt.

Emil bites Rosa's neck and the blood drips onto the Count. When he tries to bite Dora, the gypsy woman pushes her away and gets bitten herself, turning back into Anna. Anton rescues Dora and impales Emil using the stake from the Count's heart. The Count's wound heals and he revives. Anton holds up his crossbow like a crucifix and fires an arrow, shooting off the Count's head. As the crypt burns, Anton and Dora see a bat fly off. While Mueller, the village schoolteacher, is reading in the woods, a little girl is abducted by a woman and taken to a forbidding castle. The men of the village mass outside the castle and force their way in, finding Count Mitterhaus and the woman inside. They drive a stake through the heart of the Count but, as he dies, he utters a curse on the village. The woman escapes into the woods; she is Mueller's wife, Anna. The villagers set about destroying the castle but, unbeknown to them, Anna goes back and drags the Count down to the cellar. There she drips her blood onto him, bringing him back to life momentarily, and he commands her to find his kinsman Emil and the Circus of Nights. Explosions are heard and she escapes through the cellars.

Fifteen years later. The villagers of Schtettel are dying of an unknown disease; some think it is because of the Count's curse. To contain the disease, the village has been sealed off by roadblocks, but somehow a circus gets through. The doctor, Kersh, rides out to fetch medicine and manages to get past the roadblocks. That night the circus gives its first performance, featuring an erotic dance and a panther that transforms into a man. This is Emil. After the show, he seduces Rosa, the Burgermeister's daughter, taking her to his cage, where he bites her neck.

The next day, the circus performers secretly disinter the body of the Count and swear revenge on the villagers. Later, the circus performs again. The Burgermeister is invited to enter a tent containing 'The Mirror of Life'. It seems to be just a hall of mirrors, but in the last mirror he sees the Count attacking him and collapses.

Three of the villagers pay the circus clown to lead them through the forest to escape but he deserts them and the panther kills them. Mueller's daughter, Dora, comes across their mutilated bodies on her way back to the village, having left her studies in the city. That night, the gypsy woman lets two boys see The Mirror of Life; later their dead bodies are found with bite wounds in their necks. The Burgermeister, still delirious, goes out to kill the circus animals. He shoots the chimpanzee and the tiger, then shoots at the panther which turns into Emil. The Burgermeister dies.

The gypsy woman appears and her face transforms into that of Anna, Mueller's wife. Emil takes Rosa to where the Count's body is hidden; there he bites her neck and puts her body on top of the Count. Back at the circus, Anton and Dora go to look at the Mirror of Life. Dora disappears through the mirror with two of the vampires but she is wearing a crucifix and the vampires recoil. Dora faints and Anton finds her.

Doctor Kersh returns to the town. He thinks the disease is rabies carried by bats and he says he has seen proof of death by vampires in other towns which the circus visited.

The vampires attack Dora in a church but Anton saves her. Dora is left with a servant and the men arm themselves to attack the circus performers. The strong man kills the servant and carries Dora off to the cave. At the circus, the villagers find the bodies of the circus dancers which have been bled dry to feed the vampires. The villagers shoot the strong man and go to the crypt.

Emil bites Rosa's neck and the blood drips onto the Count. When he tries to bite Dora, the gypsy woman pushes her away and gets bitten herself, turning back into Anna. Anton rescues Dora and impales Emil using the stake from the Count's heart. The Count's wound heals and he revives. Anton holds up his crossbow like a crucifix and fires an arrow, shooting off the Count's head. As the crypt burns, Anton and Dora see a bat fly off.