A24’s “You Can See Everything,” a nearly three-hour documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, opened to an estimated $15 million, the biggest launch for a documentary in 13 years and a result almost nobody predicted. The film earned that sum from 855 theaters, a per-theater average of $17,543, and took second place behind Paramount’s “Street Fighter.” That game adaptation grossed $31 million from 3,575 screens.
A24 reported more than 2,000 sellout showings. Forecasts a week earlier had pointed to roughly $8 million. Analysts then called an $8 million debut the likely best for a non-music documentary since the pandemic. Younger moviegoers drove the numbers. More than 70% of the opening crowd was under 35, and 69% was male. The film reportedly cost under $7 million to make and less than $10 million to market.
Nathan Fielder, the comedian behind “Nathan for You” and “The Rehearsal,” co-directed with Lance Oppenheim. A24 revealed the project at a surprise Telluride screening, and its synopsis says Holmes invited a skeptical crew to film her 34 days before she reported to prison. Holmes let the filmmakers shoot her life with her partner, Billy Evans, and their two children. The production stayed secret for three years.
Critics embraced it. The film holds a 99% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. One trade review called it an uneasy examination of love, reality television and how filmmakers try, and often fail, to capture real life. Not every observer sees only upside. Another analysis asked whether viewers’ uncertainty about what is performance and what is real life might hold the film back with awards voters.
The filmmakers have been reluctant to explain their work. Fielder said he cannot convey how strange it felt to be in the room with Holmes. Oppenheim said the whole crew experienced “cognitive dissonance.” Documentary box office has languished for years, and the weekend as a whole rose 45% over the same period last year. The film’s second-weekend hold will show whether the opening reflected curiosity or staying power.
