You Can See Everything: Documentary about Elizabeth Holmes becomes a huge hit

This documentary is causing a stir: "You Can See Everything." The hype surrounding the film about Elizabeth Holmes is enormous. This is also reflected at the box office. About two weeks after its release, "You Can See Everything" is reported to have grossed over $50 million – which is by no means a given for a documentary. To put this in perspective: Aside from music documentaries, only two other documentaries have reached this milestone: "March of the Penguins" (2005) and "Fahrenheit 9/11" (2004).

The hype surrounding "You Can See Everything" began with its screening at the 53rd Telluride Film Festival, where it made a completely unexpected premiere in September. The first critics were raving about it, and the documentary continued to receive rave reviews afterward. Metacritic currently lists 41 reviews for "You Can See Everything," most of which praise the film to the skies, giving the documentary a sensational Metacritic score of 97 (out of a possible 100).

Who is Elizabeth Holmes?

But what is "You Can See Everything" about? The documentary centers on Elizabeth Holmes. At just 19 years old, she founded the blood-testing startup Theranos in 2003. The whole thing seemed to be turning into a success story that made Holmes the world's first self-made billionaire. Years later, however, came the spectacular downfall. Theranos was supposed to revolutionize blood testing, but the company was found to have falsified data. In 2022, Holmes was convicted of fraud, and in 2023, she began serving her prison sentence.

And that's where the documentary "You Can See Everything" comes in. Thirty-four days before she was due to begin her sentence, Holmes invited a film crew to document her every move. The film's official synopsis states: "What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss". The following trailer gives you a first glimpse of the film:

Who are the directors of You Can See Everything?

Behind "You Can See Everything" are the two directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. Oppenheim has already made a name for himself with documentaries. This year, he made his feature film debut with "Primetime," which starred Robert Pattinson in the lead role. Fielder has made a name for himself through projects such as "The Rehearsal." In the HBO docu-comedy series he created, he plays a fictionalized version of himself who helps ordinary people rehearse difficult, upcoming events in advance with the help of sets and actors. In other words: fiction and documentary blur in this unusual work.

Which brings us to "You Can See Everything." Because Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary also features meta-layers that make the film more than "just" a conventional documentary. Or, to put it in the words of reviewer Cortlyn Kelly, who praises the film on IndieWire:

"'You Can See Everything' pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking."

An Oscar for Amanda Seyfried?

Here's an example: Hollywood star Amanda Seyfried's appearance. In 2022, the actress took on the role of Elizabeth Holmes in the miniseries "The Dropout." And what do we see in "You Can See Everything"? A scene in which Seyfried watches footage showing Holmes, in turn, watching scenes of Seyfried playing Holmes in "The Dropout." What a hall of mirrors!

Meanwhile, Seyfried is even being touted as a contender for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "You Can See Everything." And that's not all. The film by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim is currently even considered a contender to become the first documentary ever to be nominated for an Oscar in the "Best Feature Film" category. It looks like "You Can See Everything" will continue to make waves.