The X-Files’ practical effects keep its monsters grounded on screen

Collider reports that The X-Files relied heavily on practical effects to bring monsters, mutants and aliens to life, a choice the article says helps the show hold up visually decades later.

The piece highlights specific examples — the Flukeman in "The Host," the alien in The X-Files: Fight the Future, Mr. Chuckle Teeth in "Familiar," contact lenses for Eugene Victor Tooms, silicone tentacles in "Aqua Male," and the blurred bug in "Folie à Deux" — and says in‑camera effects were used to heighten the terror. It contrasts that approach with what it calls an overreliance on CGI in some modern productions, citing Stranger Things' final season as feeling more greenscreened compared with earlier installments.

The article acknowledges that digital effects are sometimes necessary but argues the best results come from blending practical and CGI, using computer effects to enhance rather than replace physical creatures. It concludes that contemporary sci‑fi should make a concerted effort to combine the two if it wants visuals that age as well as The X-Files, while noting that both practical and digital effects can fail if not done well.

Key Topics

Culture, The X-files, Practical Effects, Cgi, Chris Carter, Stranger Things