Villian(s)  Demon

Actor(s):  Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, Barry Andrews, Michele Dotrice

Brief Description  The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)—originally released in the UK as Satan's Skin—is a British horror film directed by Piers Haggard. Alongside Witchfinder General (1968) and The Wicker Man (1973), it is celebrated as part of the "Unholy Trinity" that established the folk horror genre. Produced by Tigon British Film Productions, the film stands out for its muddy, atmospheric dread, uncanny rural setting, and eerie score.

Plot:
The film is set in an isolated, rural English farming village during the early 18th century (or late 17th century, depending on the interpretation of the period attire). While ploughing a field, a young farmhand named Ralph Gower uncovers a bizarre, deformed skull. The remains are grotesque, featuring a living, unblinking eye and patches of strange fur. Ralph races to inform the visiting local Judge, but by the time they return, the skeletal remains have vanished. The Infection Spreads: Despite the disappearance, a malevolent supernatural force is unleashed upon the village, primarily targeting its youth. A local man, Peter Edmonton, brings his wealthy fiancée, Rosalind, to stay at his aunt's house. Overnight, Rosalind is driven mad by a demonic entity, developing long claw-like nails.

She is institutionalized, but Peter notices a patch of furry skin growing on her hand—a remnant left behind from her madness. A local teenage girl named Angel Blake becomes the ringleader of a youth cult. Influenced by the entity, she leads the village children into the woods to participate in dark, pagan rituals. The children begin growing patches of "the devil's skin"—patches of coarse hair and claws on their bodies. To fully resurrect Satan, the cult begins ritually sacrificing and harvesting patches of skin from other villagers who refuse to join them. The cult's influence quickly leads to violence, manipulation, and sexual depravity. They falsely accuse the local schoolmaster of assault, drive adults away, and perform human sacrifices in a ruined church.

A young girl named Cathy Vespers is lured to the woods, assaulted, and murdered by the cult. Another young woman, Margaret, has her leg amputated by the children in a horrific ritual to harvest her skin. Appalled by the total moral collapse of the village, Ralph Gower begs the Judge to return. The Judge arrives with an armed militia, viewing the outbreak as a literal disease of evil that must be eradicated through absolute state authority. The militia corners the cult at their ritual site. The Judge uses a massive, consecrated sword to slay the physical incarnation of the beast, breaking the spell over the surviving children and restoring order to the community.