The X Files: I Want to Believe 2008

In the aftermath of The X-Files’ series finale, erstwhile FBI agent Doctor Dana Scully has traded in her investigative skills for a life of medical service at Our Lady of Sorrows, a compassionate Catholic hospital in Seattle. Her days are now filled with treating patients like Christian, a young boy afflicted with Sandhoff disease, a devastating terminal condition that robs him of his cognitive functions. However, when FBI Agent Drummy arrives on the scene, Scully’s tranquility is disrupted by a request to aid in locating Fox Mulder, the enigmatic former head of the X-Files division who has been living off the grid. The agent reveals that Mulder’s expertise is crucial in unraveling the mystery surrounding the unexplained disappearances of several women, including Monica Banan, a young FBI agent whose own fate hangs precariously in the balance. Scully’s initial reluctance to re-enter the world of intrigue gives way to conviction as she persuades Mulder to join forces with her, despite his wariness that this may be an elaborate ruse by the FBI to recapture him.

As they embark on their investigation, the duo is transported to the nation’s capital, Washington D.C., where they encounter Agent Dakota Whitney, a driven and resourceful agent who seeks Mulder’s unique understanding of the paranormal. Her quest begins with Father Joseph Fitzgerald Crissman, a disbarred priest whose questionable past notwithstanding, has been experiencing vivid and disturbing visions that seem to be connected to the disappearances. Though Scully is skeptical about the man’s motives, Mulder is intrigued by the possibility that these “visions” might hold the key to unlocking the truth. The unlikely trio – consisting of Whitney, Drummy, and Father Joe – sets out for snowy Montana, where they converge on Monica Banan’s home, only to find their skepticism shattered when Father Joe’s anguished cries are accompanied by an inexplicable and gruesome manifestation: his eyes begin to bleed profusely.

That same evening, as a second woman makes her way back from a solitary swim in the natatorium, she is abruptly forced off the road by Janke Dacyshyn, a seemingly innocuous snowplow driver. As the wrecked vehicle lies helpless on the roadside, Dacyshyn’s true nature reveals itself when he smashes the window and abducts his hapless victim.

As morning sunshine creeps into the room, Mulder (actor name) and Scully lie entwined in bed, their conversation flowing effortlessly as they delve into both the FBI case and Scully’s own patient. The tender mention of “our son” - a nod to the long-gestating mystery of William’s fate - serves as a poignant reminder of the emotional stakes driving this investigation. As the discussion unfolds, Scully reveals that the severed arm discovered by Father Joe Crissman contains minute traces of Acepromazine, an animal tranquilizer that has piqued Mulder’s interest and fueled his determination to pursue the case further. With renewed enthusiasm, he shaves off his beard and sets out to visit Whitney, leaving Scully to ponder the dark implications of their findings.

Meanwhile, Father Joe is recruited to aid in the search for the second abducted woman, leading a nighttime expedition through the snow-covered landscape that ultimately yields a chilling discovery: a frozen burial ground replete with human remains and body parts. As the bleak reality of their situation sets in, Scully’s frustration simmers just below the surface, her words laced with a mixture of concern and exasperation as she cautions Mulder against his all-consuming pursuit of justice. “My sister is dead,” she reminds him, her tone heavy with sorrow. Yet, undeterred by her words, Mulder presses on, driven by an unyielding resolve to uncover the truth.

As the investigation unfolds, the trail leads them to Dacyshyn, a seemingly innocuous organ transporter in Richmond, Virginia, whose husband, Franz Tomczeszyn, holds a dark and troubled past as one of Father Joe’s former victims. The ensuing FBI raid on the organ-donor facility serves only to further entangle the narrative, as Dacyshyn manages to evade capture, leaving behind a gruesome reminder of his malevolent presence: Banan’s severed head.

In the aftermath of this chaos, Mulder finds himself hotly pursuing Dacyshyn through the streets, the two men engaging in a heart-pumping chase that culminates at a construction site. It is here that Whitney meets her untimely demise, sacrificed to the cruel whims of fate as she tumbles down a shaft several stories high.

As the dust settles on this latest tragedy, Scully finds herself at a crossroads, torn between her duty as Christian’s physician and the overwhelming desperation that drives her to seek a radical stem-cell procedure as his last hope. Her pleas for permission from Christian’s parents fall on deaf ears, as Father Ybarra, the hospital’s head, advocates for a more humane palliative-care approach. The tension between these two competing visions serves as a poignant reminder of the high stakes involved in this desperate bid to save the young boy’s life.

As Scully grapples with the anguish of a young boy’s untimely demise and the spiritual turmoil sparked by Father Joe’s cryptic visions, she seeks solace in his wisdom. A visit to his apartment reveals her deep-seated distress, as she implores him for answers regarding the mysterious phrase “don’t give up.” Though he confesses ignorance about the true meaning behind his words, Scully’s despair is compounded by his admission that he knows no more about these visions than what he has already shared with the FBI. The sudden onset of a seizure besets Father Joe, prompting Scully to call for medical assistance. Later, she learns that his condition is exacerbated by advanced lung cancer, and her concern deepens as she seeks closure.

Undeterred by Scully’s insistence that he cease his investigation into the paranormal, Mulder continues to delve into the mystery. His persistence leads him to Nutter’s Feed Store in a small town where the abductions have occurred, where he inquires about recent purchases of animal tranquilizer. The coincidental arrival of Dacyshyn sets off a chain reaction, as Mulder follows his snowplow out of town and onto an isolated road. A surprise encounter with Dacyshyn results in a violent crash, leaving Mulder’s vehicle stranded on the embankment. As Dacyshyn abandons his snowplow, Mulder emerges from the wreckage, only to discover a small compound teeming with life.

The cacophony of barking dogs, a detail eerily reminiscent of Father Joe’s visions, draws Mulder into this foreboding setting. The chaos unleashed by a two-headed guard dog’s attack brings Dacyshyn forth from one of the buildings, where a makeshift medical team is engaged in the dubious procedure of whole-head transplants - a twisted attempt to reunite Tomczeszyn’s head with the body of the second abducted woman. As Mulder attempts to intervene, he is rendered helpless by the injection of Acepromazine and subsequently dragged outside to meet his maker at Dacyshyn’s hands.

As Scully’s desperate attempts to contact Mulder via his cell phone prove futile, she turns to her former FBI superior, Walter Skinner (character name not provided), seeking assistance in tracing the device’s location. Their efforts lead them to a rural mailbox, where an eerie address - a biblical chapter and verse that had been shared by Father Joe with Scully - serves as a chilling clue. With time running out, Scully and Skinner speed to the designated address, arriving just in the nick of time to interrupt a gruesome medical procedure. Skinner’s prompt intervention saves a young woman from a beheading, while Scully manages to rescue Mulder (played by David Duchovny) from a grisly fate at the hands of Dacyshyn.

The aftermath finds Mulder back at home, where he is met with the somber news that Father Joe has passed away. The agents’ minds are still reeling from the unexplained events they have witnessed, and Scully (Gillian Anderson) is particularly troubled by Father Joe’s enigmatic parting words: “don’t give up.” Mulder encourages her to ponder the true meaning behind these words, suggesting that perhaps there is more to their connection than mere coincidence. As Scully grapples with the morality of Christian’s surgery, she begins to question whether her actions are in line with Father Joe’s advice.

In a heart-to-heart conversation, Mulder advises Scully that if she harbors any doubts about the procedure, it would be wise to reconsider. Her thoughts are interrupted by the presence of Father Ybarra and Christian’s parents, who are all awaiting her decision. With the weight of responsibility bearing down on her, Scully finally makes up her mind, responding “yes” to the nurse’s query about proceeding with the surgery.

The film concludes with a surreal post-credits scene, as Mulder and Scully (in swimsuits) leisurely row towards an island in a tropical ocean. The aerial shot of their boat is juxtaposed against the shadowy silhouette of a helicopter hovering above, casting an air of mystery over the entire sequence.