You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival this fall and chronicles the final 34 days before Elizabeth Holmes’ incarceration. Holmes, founder of blood-testing technology company Theranos, was convicted of fraud in 2018 and sentenced to just over 11 years in federal prison, which commenced in May 2023.
According to the review, Fielder and Oppenheim gained access to Holmes and her partner Billy Evans after Evans approached A24 about making a documentary. Evans reportedly wanted to provide an accurate picture of Holmes as a devoted partner and mother, feeling she had been unfairly villainized. Holmes promised the filmmakers transparency with the documentary’s title taken from her vow to keep nothing hidden.
In the film’s first half, Fielder appears frequently on-screen while Oppenheim works behind the scenes. The review notes that throughout the film, Holmes repeatedly assures Fielder she has nothing to hide, yet his probing questions repeatedly catch her in what the critic describes as “slippery half-truths.” Fielder is depicted as reacting dramatically to Holmes’ statements, with visible expressions of disbelief.
The documentary shifts significantly in its second half. After Holmes enters prison two years prior to the filming period, Fielder and Oppenheim lose access to their primary subject. The review indicates that Evans increasingly restricts access and begins to appear as potentially problematic in his control over Holmes’ words and likeness. At this point, the filmmakers enlist Amanda Seyfried, who played Holmes in the 2022 miniseries The Dropout, to stand in for the incarcerated entrepreneur and offer perspective.
As the second half progresses, Fielder’s sympathies appear to shift toward Holmes, raising questions about whether she may be a victim of circumstances and of Evans’ influence, according to the review. Seyfried’s presence reportedly provides balance to Fielder’s emotional investment in his subject. The critic notes this dynamic makes the film’s second half more compelling than the first.
Key facts
- You Can See Everything debuted at the Telluride Film Festival
- The documentary follows Holmes during the 34 days before her May 2023 prison sentence began
- Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2018 and sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison
- Billy Evans, Holmes’ partner, urged the filmmakers to participate
- Amanda Seyfried, who played Holmes in The Dropout miniseries, appears in the documentary’s second half