The documentary "You Can See Everything," directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, offers an intimate and unconventional portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes, the former Theranos founder convicted of fraud. The film premiered unexpectedly at the Telluride Film Festival on September 6, followed by the release of a brief, unsettling teaser that quickly circulated online, generating significant attention. A longer trailer was unveiled on September 23, amassing over 14 million views, shortly before it was announced that the film carries an R rating for graphic nudity. The documentary is slated for theatrical release on October 16.
Elizabeth Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, promoting a revolutionary technology that claimed to perform numerous medical tests using a single drop of blood. At its peak in 2015, she was hailed as the first female self-made billionaire on the strength of a $9 billion valuation of her company. However, in 2022, Holmes was convicted of fraud related to the company’s deceptive practices.
In preparation for her 123-month prison sentence, Holmes allowed Fielder and his crew to live with her, her husband, and their two small children. The filmmakers captured extensive footage, sometimes recording up to 16 hours per day, resulting in a nearly three-hour-long documentary that delves into the complex and often discomforting dynamics of her private life.
The film maintains a focus on Holmes’s distinctive mannerisms—such as her frequent, slight head bobbing—and preserves an atmosphere of emotional ambiguity throughout. Viewers are drawn deeply into her facial expressions, which are captured in extreme close-up by cinematographer David Bolen, who worked to emphasize subtle and sometimes contradictory emotional cues. These cinematic techniques contribute to a tense, close-quarters atmosphere that challenges traditional documentary storytelling.
While the film offers new insights and moments of surprise, it eschews straightforward narrative resolution, presenting a portrait that is as confounding as it is revealing. Its length and immersive style demand patience and tolerance for discomfort, with some viewers reporting physical reactions to the film’s unrelenting awkwardness and intensity.
The directors drew inspiration from previous documentaries and filmmakers, citing Orson Welles’s 1973 film "F for Fake," as well as the works of Michael Moore and Errol Morris. Additionally, comparisons have been made to the style of Nick Broomfield and to reality television dynamics reminiscent of "The Anna Nicole Show," particularly in the portrayal of Holmes’s husband, Billy Evans, whose on-camera demeanor invites parallels to figures enmeshed in sensational personal narratives.
The documentary also includes a notable scene featuring full-frontal nudity within the first hour, a choice that the filmmakers defend as part of the film’s raw and uncompromising approach. Despite its title, the documentary does not claim to reveal every aspect of Holmes’s story; rather, it presents a layered, elusive portrait open to varied interpretations.
"You Can See Everything" challenges viewers to engage with the complex and often contradictory nature of Elizabeth Holmes, offering a distinctive, if unsettling, window into one of the most notorious scandals of the 21st century.