A secretly produced documentary about disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has become the talk of the Telluride Film Festival, drawing enthusiastic reactions from audiences and critics more than a day after its surprise premiere. “You Can See Everything,” directed by comedian Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim, screened Sunday night as the festival’s closely guarded secret selection, with attendees required to lock away their phones and other devices before entering the theater.
The film runs 174 minutes and follows Holmes over roughly three years, beginning 34 days before she reported to federal prison to serve an 11-year sentence for defrauding investors in her blood-testing startup. According to A24, the studio distributing the film, what starts as an intimate portrait of a convicted felon shifts into what the studio calls a mind-bending journey. Much of the film centers on Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, whose family has ties to the hospitality industry and who becomes a central figure as the story unfolds.
Fielder, known for blending documentary and staged scenarios in projects like “The Rehearsal,” told audiences at a post-screening discussion that he remains uncertain what he witnessed while making the film. He said he and Oppenheim frequently disagreed about the meaning of specific moments with Holmes, an ambiguity the finished film preserves rather than resolves. Fielder also said his communication with Evans broke down near the end of production, which he attributed to Evans wanting more control over the project.
Reaction from critics has been notably strong. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called it a one-of-a-kind blend of reality television and psychological drama, while Deadline’s Pete Hammond said the film’s length never dragged and praised the access Fielder and Oppenheim secured.
Festival attendees described the documentary on social media using words like gripping and jaw-dropping, with some calling it among the best documentaries they have seen. Word of the screening spread quickly beyond Telluride, with festivalgoers fielding messages from people who had not attended the festival asking whether they had managed to get a seat.
A24 originally approached the project as a smaller undertaking, reportedly telling Fielder and Oppenheim they could abandon it entirely if it did not come together. The film is scheduled to open in theaters in October.
