The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
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Former FBI agents Mulder and Scully must reunite to investigate a series of disappearances and a mysterious organ-harvesting ring.
The story
The story follows Mulder and Scully who have been out of the FBI for several years, with Mulder living in isolation and Scully having become a doctor at a Catholic hospital, where she has formed a bond with a critically ill child patient. When an FBI agent is mysteriously kidnapped and a former Catholic priest who has been convicted of pedophilia claims to be experiencing psychic visions of the endangered agent, Scully is asked to bring Mulder back to the bureau to consult on the case because of his work with psychics. The narrative goes through the push and pull of his at-first reluctant involvement and Scully's attempts to stay out of it.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dana Scully, a former FBI Special Agent now working as a physician, is approached by Agent Mosely Drummy to find her former partner, Fox Mulder, who has been a fugitive for years. They are tasked with investigating the disappearance of several women, including a young agent named Monica Bannan. They join forces with Father Joe, a priest who claims to have visions of the missing women. The investigation leads them to a discovery of a gruesome organ-harvesting operation run by an Eastern European medical team. During a raid, Mulder is captured and nearly killed by the antagonist, Janke Dacyshyn. Scully and Walter Skinner eventually locate Mulder and rescue him just before he is executed. The film concludes with Scully deciding to proceed with a risky treatment for her patient, while Mulder reflects on the link between the priest's visions and the reality of the situation.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Chris Carter
- Writers
- Chris Carter · writer; Frank Spotnitz · writer
- Cast and characters
- David Duchovny · Fox Mulder; Gillian Anderson · Dana Scully; Amanda Peet · Special Agent in Charge Dakota Whitney; Billy Connolly · Joseph "Father Joe" Crissman; Alvin 'Xzibit' Joiner · Special Agent Mosley Drummy; Mitch Pileggi · Assistant Director Walter Skinner
- Genres
- supernatural thriller; horror
- Themes
- faith vs. science; medical ethics
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; dark
- Premise and plot tags
- supernatural; investigation; medical mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- The X-Files television series
- Franchise connections
- The X-Files
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising the chemistry between the leads but criticizing the plot and pacing.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 32% · scale: percentage · review count: 168; CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film's working title was 'The X-Files: Done One'.; The score was recorded with the Hollywood Studio Symphony.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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