5 Shows on Netflix That 'X-Files' Fans Should Watch Next
'X-Files'is being abducted from the streaming service, but here are some shows that could fill the void.
The truth is out there, and as of April 1, The X-Files are out there on some other streaming platform that’s not Netflix. That’s right, the beloved ‘90s sc-fi drama left Netflix, leaving a Mulder and Scully-shaped hole in fans’ hearts.
While trying to top the supernatural intrigue, shadowy conspiracies, and David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s highly shippable chemistry is a mighty big challenge for any show, but there are still lots of other series in Netflix’s library that will at least help scratch that itch. Some of them unravel shadowy plots just like our favorite FBI agents while others focus on comradery and the budding relationship between partners.
Here are five suggestions for shows on Netflix that you should give a try in lieu of The X-Files, and one additional bonus movie that’s not on Netflix, but if you’re a true fan of Agent Fox Mulder, you’ll want to watch anyway.
Almost Human
Almost Human stars Karl Urban as a detective in 2048 who works alongside an android. The robot, played by Michael Ealy, is almost human. Together, the two fight an absurd amount of crime in a future that’s just shy of dystopia. Watching their relationship evolve should trigger the X-Files-based pleasure centers of your brain.
Crazyhead
Amy (Cara Theobold) is a seer, meaning she has the rare ability to spot demons. Raquel (Susan Wokoma) is also a seer, and she’s out to do some serious demon hunting. Take away the government organization, and it’s a lot like The X-Files, except with demons instead of aliens, and Amy even plays the role of skeptic just like Scully, even though they can both see crazy shit happening plain as day.
Stranger Things
If you’re looking for good sci-fi to watch on Netflix, chances are you’ve already heard of Stranger Things, the beloved ode to ‘80s horror. If you’ve been living in the Upside Down, though, fire up the first episode of this Netflix Original right now. There’s a shadowy government research facility, a spooky monster, and a team of kids who are a bunch of lil junior Mulders and Scullys.
Firefly
The biggest complaint people have about Firefly, Joss Whedon’s unique space drama, is that there’s not enough of it. Maybe that can be a good thing, though, since with just 14 episodes, Firefly never got a chance to lose the plot the way later Mythology episodes of X-Files did. If you’re looking for complex camaraderie, you can’t do better than the crew of the Serenity.
iZombie
iZombie follows Olivia “Liv” Moore, a former medical resident whose life turned upside-down when it… ended. Liv has become a zombie, and she needs to eat brains in order to stay lucid. Together with a growing team of allies, she uses her powers to do good in the world — or at least try to — while her boss at the morgue she works at, Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti, looks for a cure.
Bonus: Plan 9 From Outer Space
This movie isn’t on Netflix, but it is in the public domain and therefore streaming in its entirety on YouTube. Fans of The X-Files will remember that the Ed Wood-directed film (which is often regarded as one of the worst movies ever made) is Mulder’s favorite film. “This movie is so profoundly bad in such a childlike way that it hypnotizes my conscious critical mind and frees up my right brain to make associo-poetic leaps,” he tells Scully, noting that he’s seen it 42 times. Head over to YouTube to get started on viewing No. 1.
