I would rank The X-Files as one of the greatest TV series of all time. I have watched it from start to end multiple times, and I always get completely invested in it. With the show being so popular, the decision to make a movie based on it made sense, and Chris Carter, the series creator himself, was one of the main creative forces behind the movie. Back in 1998, I had no internet, so until I saw a magazine with “X-Files The Movie” on it, I had no idea this was a thing, and when I first saw the trailer, I was mind blown that there was a movie coming.
How to Download The X Files (1998)
The X Files (1998) was released on June 19, 1998. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check also the next film in the series – The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008).
The Movie Review
Perfectly Timed Between Seasons 5 and 6
Set between the end of season five and the start of season six, I honestly do not know how they could have done an X-Files movie better than they did. The thing is, I am a huge X-Files fan, so of course I would think that. I always watch this when I do my X-Files rewatches, and if you watch the series, I do think that the movie fits in very well. However, you could skip it and not really lose out.
Accessible to Newcomers But a Treasure for Hardcore Fans
I do also feel that if you are a non X-Files fan that this probably will not be as awesome for you. To be fair, they do a very good job of telling a fully contained story here in the movie, so those who are not familiar with the show would not feel completely lost. Yet, it is all the references and the way things tie into the show that really make this such an awesome movie for fans of the show.
From Prehistoric Times to Present Day Texas
The start of the movie is fantastic, starting all the way back in prehistoric times, letting us know that the “black alien ooze” has been on Earth for millions of years. We then fast-forward to the present day in Texas, where a young kid falls into a pit and ends up getting infected and taken over by the iconic black ooze, oil or whatever you refer to it as.
Government Conspiracies and Classic X-Files Intrigue
Of course, this leads to the government running a cover-up, and this is a massive cover-up, so large that they blow up an entire building to try and hide the evidence! This brings Mulder and Scully to Texas, and with a nudge in the right direction, Mulder finds out that those who died in the blast were already dead. I love the way that the movie makes you wait so long to see Mulder and Scully, and I remember watching this on the big screen, and the first time Scully bursts through those doors was so epic; just seeing these characters that I loved in a movie was unbelievably awesome.
The Movie Plays Like an Epic Extended Episode
The movie is like an extra long episode as it is basically about Mulder and Scully trying to figure out what the government is hiding and the government trying to cover up the alien colonization that had been a major part of the show. The whole ending sequence of the movie that sees Mulder trying to save Scully in a secret base in the Antarctic, which turns out to be far more than a base, was just incredible.
Should You Watch The X Files (1998) During Your Rewatch?
At the end of the day, you can do an X-Files marathon and skip this movie, however, I do not think that you should do that as it feels like an extra special episode, and it does fit in with the show very well. I would not recommend watching The X-Files movie on a whim if you are not familiar with the show, but I would suggest if you have the time and the will for a massive commitment to watch the entire show and the two movies as well.
