X-Files: I Want To Believe

X-Files I Want To Believe is a curious piece on the X-Files and rumination over its legacy. Its serial Killer Monster of the Week is an abstract take on the themes of the X-Files mythology. There are feminist themes of body violation and horror undercut by the inadvertent transphobic narrative. There's a subversion of the show's romantic relationship with religious fundamentalism.

The character arcs are formulaic and basic inspite of the acting elevates these arcs(Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny)helped by the intimate storytelling. There's intensity, body language, vulnerability. Overall X-Files I Want To Believe is a low-key affair that feels like an archetypal X-Files episode instead of treading new ground.

Technically X-Files I Want To Believe is competently well made. The Vancouver ice setting achieves a morbid low-key tone for its serial killer narrative. The varied framing, focus, and Dutch angles convey the visual storytelling. The smash cuts, scene transitions, surrealism, and jump cuts are employed to give urgency and stakes however, they remain muddled with cheap jumpscares and rushed pacing.

The sound employs genre elements with restraint and the score evokes the iconic theme with noticeable horror elements and the body horror imagery. The casting is a mixture of recognizable names and character actors however underdeveloped. The effects are employed for blood, gore, and prosthetics. Overall X-Files I Want To Believe is technically proficient and a middling horror procedural.

Writing:6/10

Direction:6/10

Cinematography:7/10

Acting:8/10

Editing:7/10

Sound: 6/10

Score:7/10

Prod design: 8/10

Casting:8/10

Effects: 5/10

Overall Score:6.8/10