--- title: "The X-Files: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-x-files/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-x-files" critics_score: 67 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The X-Files (1993): what the critics said Critics' score 67 from 9 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 3 negative. Most critics come down in favour, and the praise gathers around the pilot and the early standalone episodes. The pairing of Mulder and Scully is named again and again as the foundation: two leads with an easy rapport, working unexplained cases that end with a twist and room for doubt. Several reviews credit the monster-of-the-week stories with setting a standard for television horror, and the 1993 notices find the script ingenious and the direction cool. The spread is wide. Reservations cluster on the running conspiracy plot, which Empire finds overblown in the revived season while welcoming the return of self-contained cases. The Hollywood Reporter calls the premise laboured and the drama not involving. Two later pieces go further: Vulture argues the show glamorised anti-government paranoia in ways that now look dated, and The Telegraph holds that it turned hackneyed and outlived its novelty. The harshest verdicts come from critics looking back, not from those who saw the pilot fresh. ## Radio Times — Jack Francis Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2023. The article hails the pilot as the greatest in TV history for perfectly establishing the show's mysterious tone, central Mulder-Scully chemistry, and 'trust no one' ethos that defined the series. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/x-files-30-years-pilot-comment/) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Rating A-. 13 June 2008. The critic finds the pilot effective at establishing the show's template of unexplained occurrences investigated with twists, leaving room for doubt. It singles out the chemistry and setup between Mulder and Scully as a strong foundation despite some by-the-numbers elements. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-x-files-pilot-1798204522) ## The i Paper — Mark Butler Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2018. The piece celebrates how the early seasons' monster-of-the-week episodes revitalized TV horror with inventive, chilling standalone stories that set a high standard still unmatched by many later shows. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-x-files-25-horror-tv-monsters-193692) ## Variety — Tony Scott Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 1993. The critic finds the series promising for sci-fi/mystery fans, praising the well-produced entry, ingenious script, solid team of leads, cool direction, and drive and imagination that give TV sci-fi a boost. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1993/film/reviews/the-x-files-1200433385/) ## Empire — James Dyer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 6 February 2018. The review finds the new season's overarching conspiracy plot disappointing and over-the-top but praises the return to strong standalone supernatural procedural episodes that recapture the show's classic appeal. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/x-files-season-11-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Miles Beller Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 9 September 1993. The critic notes some interest despite a labored premise, compares to Twin Peaks and Twilight Zone with camp kick, but concludes it doesn't quite deliver involving drama. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/x-files-first-episode-thrs-784008/) ## Vulture Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2013. The essay fondly recalls the show's formative influence on the author but argues it helped glamorize anti-government extremism in ways that feel dated and problematic in a post-9/11, post-truth era. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/09/x-files-ruined-by-fox-news-terrorists-truthiness.html) ## The Telegraph — Ed Power Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 11 September 2018. The critic argues that while the original series had some worthwhile monster-of-the-week episodes and strong lead chemistry, it quickly became hackneyed and outlived its novelty, turning into a blot on culture despite its enduring popularity. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/x-files-25-truth-terrible/) ## Den of Geek — Jennifer Cates Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2013. The critic calls the pilot an excellent kickoff that packages the series' core elements—aliens, cover-ups, and character chemistry—into an engaging story with suspense and revelations. It singles out the introduction of the Smoking Man and the Mulder-Scully dynamic for praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/revisiting-the-x-files-season-1-pilot/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md