A surprise documentary regarding convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes surfaced at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend. Titled "You Can See Everything," the film represents a departure from traditional investigative journalism. It offers a rare, prolonged look at the executive during her final 34 days of freedom before she reported to federal prison to begin an 11-year sentence. The project comes from directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, with A24 handling the theatrical release slated for October.
Origins of the Documentary Project
Holmes gained notoriety after a 2022 conviction for defrauding investors in the blood-testing startup she started at age 19. As her legal appeals exhausted and a prison reporting date neared in 2023, she reached out to find someone to film her final weeks of private life. Fielder and Oppenheim accepted the request. They worked under a cloak of secrecy for three years, producing a film that escaped public notice until its debut at the festival.
Production took place while Holmes lived with her partner, Billy Evans, and their two young children. Fielder is well-known for his work on "The Rehearsal" and "Nathan for You," while Oppenheim brings experience from prior documentary work. Their involvement ensured the project would not follow a standard true-crime narrative. Neither director had a firm destination in mind when the cameras started rolling.
Content and Artistic Approach
Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman reviewed the 174-minute film, describing it as a blend of reality television and psychological drama. Fielder appears on screen throughout the runtime. He frequently presses Holmes on her honesty, questioning the narratives she maintained during her rise and fall in Silicon Valley. The film does not attempt to relitigate the trial. Instead, it examines the motivations of a person who convinced global investors she had changed medical technology forever.
One scene highlights the tension between the filmmaker and his subject. Fielder challenges Holmes on whether she is being truthful. She maintains she is being real with him and insists the public perception of her character is wrong. Fielder’s reaction, according to reports from Fox Business, is skeptical and restrained. He does not explicitly label her claims as lies, but his presence serves as a constant check against her assertions.
Implications for Public Discourse
Critics have noted that the film avoids the trap of glorifying a convicted criminal. By focusing on the psychology of the situation, the documentary provides a look at the personal cost of the Theranos failure. It captures the domestic quietude of her life just before the transition to prison. This is a contrast to the high-stakes boardroom drama that defined the news cycle during the 2010s.
The industry is watching how A24 distributes the film. As a studio, they gravitate toward projects that challenge conventional storytelling. Given the lingering public fascination with Holmes, the October release will likely draw significant interest from those who followed the original trial. The film adds a strange, final chapter to the Theranos saga, demonstrating how far the reach of a major corporate fraud extends into the private life of the perpetrator. It leaves the audience to decide how much of her performance is a genuine admission and how much is a calculated attempt to rewrite a reputation.