In an era of relentless pre-release hype, A24 has pulled off a rare feat: a genuinely secret documentary premiere. You Can See Everything, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, was unveiled at a surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival, with a trailer and poster released the same day.
The film chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos, who was convicted of defrauding investors and sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison in 2022. Holmes reported to federal prison in May 2023. According to the synopsis, Holmes invited Fielder and Oppenheim to document her life for 34 days before her incarceration, and the filmmakers continued following her over the next three years.
“What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss,” the synopsis reads. The trailer is unsettling, focusing on Holmes’s signature wide-eyed stare as she insists she is not deceiving anyone. “Why would I do that?” she asks. A skeptical Fielder presses: “You’re being real right now?” Holmes replies, “I’m always being real.” The camera then pulls back to reveal she is holding her baby.
A European lens on a Silicon Valley cautionary tale
While the story is quintessentially American, it resonates across Europe, where Theranos once attracted international investors and media attention. European audiences have followed Holmes’s saga through podcasts, books, and the Emmy-winning miniseries The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried. The new documentary adds another layer to this cautionary tale, one that European viewers may find particularly compelling given the continent’s own struggles with tech regulation and corporate accountability.
Fielder, a Canadian comedian known for his deadpan style, makes his feature directorial debut here. Oppenheim, whose previous work includes Spermworld, also premiered Primetime at Venice, starring Robert Pattinson. Vanity Fair reported that Fielder actually lived with Holmes and her husband Billy Evans during filming, describing the documentary as “full of unexpected twists and turns and shocking reveals.”
The film’s release comes as Holmes’s story continues to captivate. After her conviction, she attempted to flee the US and pushed for a new trial. She is scheduled for release on 16 August 2032. The documentary’s title, You Can See Everything, suggests an unfiltered look at a woman who once claimed to see through the veil of medical innovation.
A24 has not announced a European release date yet, but given the studio’s international reach, it is likely to land in European cinemas soon after its US debut. For now, the trailer offers a chilling preview of what promises to be a deeply unsettling portrait.
