Critics praise Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes documentary 'You Can See Everything'

Nathan Fielder’s documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, titled You Can See Everything, has received widespread critical acclaim ahead of its theatrical release. The film, which follows the Theranos founder in the weeks leading up to her imprisonment and the years that followed, has achieved a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 97 on Metacritic, labeled "universal acclaim."

Critical Reception

Reviewers have largely praised the documentary for its depth and unconventional approach. The Daily Beast described the film as an "all-time great mind-melter," with critic Nick Schager stating, "It's not just the film of the year — it's a documentary that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the form's all-time greats." Vulture also called it "the movie of the year," suggesting Holmes was "one of the greatest doc subjects of all time."

The Guardian awarded the film five stars, calling it a "modern masterpiece of deceit" that is "somehow more shocking, twistier, thornier and revealing than billed." Screen Daily noted that the film demonstrates "the fallacy of reality in art while acknowledging that everyone – including the filmmakers and Holmes and [her partner Billy] Evans – distorts the truth for their own purposes."

Production and Access

The documentary was directed by Fielder, known for Nathan for You and The Rehearsal, and Lance Oppenheim, director of Primetime. The film was made largely in secret, with its existence revealed only at a surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival in September. Attendees at the festival were required to lock their phones in pouches during the screening.

According to The Independent, filming took place over three years. The project involved Holmes inviting the filmmakers into her home just days before she was sent to prison. Holmes, 42, was convicted of fraud in 2022 for her role in the Theranos scandal and began serving an 11-year sentence at a Texas facility in May 2023.

Oppenheim told People magazine that he was reluctant to discuss the film's details beforehand, stating, "I don't want to say anything that can skew people's perception of it because I feel like it's one of those movies that the more clean slate you are, the better."

Criticisms and Style

While the reception was overwhelmingly positive, some critics noted reservations regarding the film's 174-minute runtime and its blurring of reality and performance. Variety called it "just about the furthest thing from a 'pure' documentary you've ever seen," describing it as a "one-of-a-kind reality-TV-as-hangout-movie psychodrama circus."

The Washington Post’s Shane O'Neill acknowledged the film's length was necessary but noted it "doesn't fly by," adding that it was "a tough watch" even for fans of the genre. The New Yorker’s Richard Brody questioned Fielder’s confrontational style, arguing it gave the work "an air of cruelty," particularly in scenes where he embarrassed Holmes in front of her parents. However, Brody still praised the finished documentary as "strangely, poetically, poignantly beautiful."

Why it matters

The documentary marks a significant return for Fielder, who has built a career on awkward social experiments and blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The film's high critical scores and secret production method have generated significant interest, positioning it as a major cultural event in the documentary genre. The film is scheduled to release in US theaters on Oct. 16 and in the UK on Nov. 20.

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Sources

• yahoo.com: 'The film of the year': Critics rave about Nathan Fielder's 'masterpiece' Elizabeth Holmes documentary
• independent.co.uk: Elizabeth Holmes documentary hailed a ‘masterpiece’ as it receives perfect Rotten Tomatoes score | The Independent

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.