The X-Files (Film Review)

1998 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Rob Bowman; Written by: Chris Carter and Frank Spotnitz
Starring: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, Blythe Danner, and Armin Mueller-Stahl
MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 122 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 8/10

FBI agent, Fox Mulder, who believes in a government conspiracy to cover up the exist of extra-terrestrials  and his partner, Dana Scully, who has seen some things, but is still skeptical, have been reassigned from The X-Files, a set of bizarre cases purportedly involving the paranormal. The duo have been sent to Dallas, Texas to investigate a seemingly very non-paranormal bomb threat to a federal building. However, when Mulder follows a spooky hunch that the bomb might be in the building next door, he and Scully fall even deeper into the very real government conspiracy, a dark plot that might not only cost their lives, but the lives of every man, woman, and child on planet Earth. 
The X-Files creator, Chris Carter, faced a tough task in forming a film around his landmark show. After five years of deep and complex story mythology, as well as deep character development not only of Mulder and Scully as individuals, but as a unit, Carter had to present a standalone two-hour story that would satisfy both long-time fans of the show, as well as viewers who don't know The Cigarette Smoking Man from the Marlboro one. Watching the film now, 25 years to the day after it hit U.S. theaters, 1998's The X-Files feels like a best case scenario, presenting a complicated yet clear evolution of the series' ongoing story, that also works in a vacuum, while highly elevating the show's production values to an epic scale.

The success begins with director, Rob Bowman, who'd helmed over 20 episodes of the show at this point, but also had previous experience in film. Bowman directs with panache, presenting kinetic imagery through some magnificent camera movements, particularly when he's revealing mysterious domes in a late-night rural cornfield, the vast interiors of a cave...or a spaceship. Bowman injects the perfect amount of grit and atmosphere, as well, presenting a shining visual example of late-night, late-90's paranoia. The script by Carter and frequent series writer, Frank Spotnitz, is whip-smart and brisk, perfectly balancing the bigger set pieces with several great quiet moments between Mulder and Scully. And speaking of, after winning numerous awards for their television portrayal of these two loveable FBI agents, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson could have done this movie in their sleep, but thankfully neither sleepwalk through the film. Their chemistry is as magical as ever, and anchors this slice of 1998 in a timeless sea, ensuring The X-Files is just as enjoyable in 2023 as it was in 1998.