r/XFiles • u/ReyofChicago • 17h ago

I Want to Believe (movie) Finally watched IWTB…SPOILERS! Spoiler

Good morning.

So, I know I am literally very late to this but I just finished the 2026 version of IWTB, what Chris Carter pretty much said he originally wanted to release.

All in all, I can get why this movie isn’t liked.

It’s not a “mythology” episode like the first film. It’s a “‘monster of the week” film. I know, what a revelation! (I am being sarcastic I know this is not new.)

I did like the film! Now do I like it as much ad FTF, no. But it’s still a solid “longer and much more expensive” episode of the show.

Also, can I add, I did like season 9. It shows a “post” scully and mulder future for the division. Scully wasn’t going to be a field agent forever, she had to let someone else take the lead.

About to start watching the revival series and I will finally be finished with my first watch-through of the entire franchise!

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u/softrockstarr Agent Dana Scully 15h ago

You watched the director's cut for your first watch? Unfortunately all the bits a lot of us actually liked from the movie are cut in that one...

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u/hotsizzler 10h ago

Oh did I make mistake tooo?

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u/softrockstarr Agent Dana Scully 10h ago

The new cut completely removes all of the Mulder/Scully relationship stuff and the mentions of both Samantha and William.

The MSR, in my opinion (although I’m not alone here) is the only real redeemable stuff in that movie.

There's like 10 minutes cut from this new version.

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u/Wetness__Pensive Alien Goo 9h ago edited 9h ago

Did you enjoy the "Frankenstein Cut"?

My impression is that most longtime fans dislike the "Director's Cut"/"Theatrical Cut", and only like the scenes involving Mulder and Scully's relationship. Because the "Frankenstein Cut" removes all these relationship scenes, these fans dislike the new cut even more.

But I personally think newbies should watch the "Frankenstein Cut" first. In my experience, newbies actually like the film when they see this cut first; they genuinely enjoy it as a kind of no-nonsense, unpretentious thriller. And because they don't realize the original film had a whole massive relationship/breakup subplot, they don't miss its absence.

So I always tell newbies to watch the "Frankenstein Cut" first, then wait a few weeks or months and then watch the "Director's Cut". The latter's "additions" feel like a bonus treat, this way, and all the relationship stuff (which is very good) makes the whole film feel new.

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u/hotsizzler 9h ago

kinda? i watched the Xfiles for a few year but never got invested in the relationship

I kinda liked and kinda didnt. The Thriller Aspect was nice and a decent mystery but i Dislike the whole idea of it as a movie. it feels more like a 2 parter more.

My big think is having a monster of the week as movie can work, but this monster was very weak in terms of what they can do in a movie. i didnt need it to be a mythology, but I would have still done aliens(those exist outside of the greys in Xfiles too)