Comedian and filmmaker Nathan Fielder has brought his signature style of uncomfortable encounters and blurred realities to the story of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Co-directed by Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the three-hour documentary titled You Can See Everything premiered to shock and awe during a secret screening at the Telluride Film Festival, ahead of its scheduled release by A24.
The project provides an unprecedented look at Holmes in the weeks leading up to her beginning an 11-year prison sentence in 2023. Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, granted the filmmakers unrestricted access to their San Diego home while raising their two children. They aimed to counter the media narrative established following the collapse of their $9 billion blood-testing startup.
Inside the Unprecedented Access and Creative Approach
The documentary utilizes Fielder’s trademark approach to performance, simulation, and documentary filmmaking, reminiscent of his work on HBO’s The Rehearsal. Throughout the 174-minute film, Fielder appears on camera, engaging in extensive conversations with Holmes and Evans. A notable semantic debate breaks out between Fielder and Holmes over the word “can,” as they parse her past corporate statements regarding the capabilities of the company’s flawed Edison machine.
Reviewers have highlighted the claustrophobic aesthetic of cinematographer David Bolen’s multi-camera setup and editor Adam Locke-Norton’s use of dead air and awkward silences. Despite the proximity, the filmmakers noted that Holmes remained largely guarded behind a robotic defense mechanism.
Unpredictable Twists and Post-Prison Developments
The documentary extends past Holmes reporting to federal prison, taking unexpected narrative turns. Fielder and Oppenheim explore the lingering confusion and breakdown in communication with Evans near the end of the production process. The project also examines cultural portrayals of the scandal, drawing a line between actual events and dramatizations like Hulu’s The Dropout, which starred Amanda Seyfried.
During a post-screening Q&A moderated by Emma Stone, Fielder admitted that the entire crew struggled to process the complex psychological dynamics observed within the house. You Can See Everything officially arrives in theaters via A24, offering audiences a rare and destabilizing look at one of Silicon Valley’s most notorious corporate frauds.
