A new trailer for A24’s highly anticipated documentary ‘You Can See Everything’ has been released, offering viewers a glimpse into the final days of freedom for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, the 174-minute film documents Holmes’ life just over a month before she began an 11-year prison sentence for defrauding investors. The documentary is set to be released on October 16.
The film delves into a critical period for Holmes, starting 34 days before her incarceration. It features Fielder, known for his unique reality television approach, living with Holmes and her family, including her husband, Billy Evans. The documentary’s official logline describes it as an intimate portrait that evolves into a ‘mind-bending three-year journey.’ The trailer captures moments of intense interaction, including Holmes visibly crying and Fielder directly questioning her and Evans.
Throughout the footage, Holmes asserts her transparency and innocence. In one exchange, she tells Fielder, ‘I don’t have anything to deceive you on,’ and questions why she would mislead him. She also explicitly states, ‘I did not’ do anything wrong when asked if she felt responsible for her actions. However, Fielder’s skeptical demeanor is evident as he asks Holmes if she worries about him seeing something that could make her look bad and probes Evans about whether Holmes might have used him for his family’s wealth, to which Evans replies about ‘different levels of wealth.’ Fielder admits to a ‘weird feeling that there’s some things that I’m not seeing.’
Critical Acclaim and Unsettling Depiction
The documentary premiered earlier this month at the Telluride Film Festival, drawing significant attention and generating buzz among attendees and critics. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman characterized the film as ‘a one-of-a-kind reality-TV-as-hangout-movie psychodrama circus’ that engages viewers through Fielder’s ‘acidly quizzical personality’ and deadpan interviewing style. This unique blend of reality TV and psychological drama reportedly ‘gets its hooks in you.’
Similarly, Variety’s Clayton Davis noted that the film ‘keeps escalating in strangeness’ over its three-year narrative arc, culminating in a final act that reportedly left even seasoned festival-goers ‘shell-shocked.’ Descriptions such as ‘Wild’ and ‘WTF?’ circulated among audiences, according to Davis, indicating a profound and unsettling viewing experience. Deadline’s Pete Hammond praised the film for ‘blowing the lid off the story’ and for not disappointing throughout its nearly three-hour runtime, highlighting Fielder’s role as a ‘dogged, if deadpan, interviewer’ who uncovers ‘zinger after another.’
The Ongoing Saga of Elizabeth Holmes
Elizabeth Holmes, once hailed as a Silicon Valley visionary, was convicted of defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup, Theranos. Her legal battles and eventual prison sentence in 2023 followed a year of various attempts to avoid incarceration, including seeking loopholes, pushing for a new trial, and even an alleged attempt to flee the country, as reported by Rolling Stone. She expressed to Fielder that the documentary presented a crucial opportunity to capture her story ‘before I’m gone.’
This film contributes to a wider body of media—including other documentaries, podcasts, books, and a limited series—that has explored the rise and fall of Theranos. The global interest in high-profile corporate fraud, especially within the tech sector, ensures that such narratives resonate widely. Stories like Holmes’s prompt international discussions on ethics in innovation, investor due diligence, and the cult of personality surrounding start-up culture, serving as a cautionary tale for entrepreneurs and investors worldwide. Fielder himself admitted at a Q&A after the screening that he still struggles ‘to this day to understand exactly what I experienced’ and hopes the film will help audiences comprehend his journey.
With the release date approaching, audiences worldwide will soon have the opportunity to engage with ‘You Can See Everything’ and form their own conclusions about Elizabeth Holmes’s narrative. The documentary promises to offer an unprecedented, unfiltered look into a controversial figure, leaving many to anticipate how the film will add to the ongoing public discourse surrounding one of Silicon Valley’s most notorious sagas.
Image: Rolling Stone
Sources consulted
- Variety: ‘You Can See Everything’ Trailer: Nathan Fielder Lives With Elizabeth Holmes, Makes Her Cry and Interrogates Her Husband in Documentary
- Rolling Stone: Nathan Fielder Isn’t Convinced Elizabeth Holmes Has Nothing to Hide in Documentary Trailer
- Deadline: ‘You Can See Everything’ Full Trailer: Elizabeth Holmes Gets Vulnerable In A24 Film Ahead Of October 16 Release
Livia Dorne covers film, television, music, and pop culture with a keen editorial perspective. She delivers engaging commentary, reviews, and behind-the-scenes insights that keep readers connected to the entertainment world. Her style blends critique with storytelling.
