10 X-Files Episodes That Should Have Been Horror Movies
7. Die Hand, Die Verletzt
Airing just one week after the aforementioned 'Irresistible', viewers back in 1995 were spoilt rotten with a two-week double whammy of terrors when 'Die Hand, Die Verletzt' made its debut. An especially dark tale that sees Mulder and Scully investigating the death of a teenager who seemingly died during an occult ritual.
As the episode unfolds, we're treated to all manner of scary hallucinations, occult imagery and even the sight of a grown man being swallowed whole by a snake. The real star of the show, however, is Mrs Paddock, the mild-mannered substitute teacher who beneath all the banality is one scary customer.
Is she human, demon, or the Devil incarnate? The scary thing is, nobody truly knows.
'Die Hand, Die Verletzt' is a firm fan-favourite for its over-the-top nature and striking imagery. As well as its pitch-black humour that takes aim at religious organisations, the Parent-Teacher Association and the 'satanic panic' hysteria that was big in America around the time.
The episode's only weakness is that with so many different elements to the plot, some aspects feel a tad underdeveloped and with enough room to breathe, this one could have been one hell of a high-school horror movie.