A documentary on convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has become one of the most acclaimed films of the year, drawing Oscar buzz and public debate over its portrayal of Holmes and the involvement of actress Amanda Seyfried. Titled You Can See Everything, the three-hour documentary by directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim has received near-universal acclaim from critics, with a 99/100 on Metacritic, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 4.7/5 on Letterboxd. It grossed $15 million in its opening weekend, the second-highest debut for a documentary in over 20 years.
The film follows Holmes during the final 34 days before she reported to Federal Prison Camp Bryan on May 30, 2023. Seyfried, who previously portrayed Holmes in the Hulu miniseries The Dropout, makes a surprise appearance in You Can See Everything, playing both herself and Holmes. The documentary has been submitted for multiple Academy Award categories, including Best Picture, Best Documentary, and Best Director for Fielder and Oppenheim. Seyfried is also being considered for Best Supporting Actress for her dual role.
The film’s release has reignited discussions about Holmes’ legacy, the ethics of documentary filmmaking, and the role of media in shaping public perception of high-profile figures. Critics and audiences have praised the documentary’s ambition and emotional depth, while some viewers have criticized Seyfried’s involvement as hypocritical, citing her prior portrayal of Holmes in The Dropout.
Documentary’s reception and Oscar prospects
The documentary’s critical acclaim has been unprecedented for a nonfiction film. It holds a 9.4/10 on IMDb, which would make it the highest-rated film in the platform’s history if the score holds. The film’s world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival drew significant attention, followed by packed screenings at the New York Film Festival and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Celebrities including Trent Reznor, Elizabeth Olsen, and Steven Yeun attended early screenings.
Fielder, known for his work on The Rehearsal, has described the film as a complex exploration of truth and documentary ethics. In a Q&A following a Los Angeles screening, he stated, “I still am not sure to this day what I experienced, and it’s one of the reasons I’m excited for it to come out and more people see it.”
Seyfried’s role and public reaction
Seyfried’s surprise appearance in the documentary has generated mixed reactions. Some viewers have praised her willingness to revisit her portrayal of Holmes, while others have accused her of shifting her stance on Holmes’ culpability. The documentary includes Seyfried recreating conversations she had with Fielder about Holmes’ personal life and her relationship with partner Billy Evans.
Critics of Seyfried’s involvement argue that her participation in the documentary contradicts her earlier portrayal of Holmes as a victim of male manipulation in The Dropout. One social media user wrote, “Amanda Seyfried defending Holmes as a victim of male manipulation until Holmes accused her of participating in a sensationalized version of the Theranos scandal and then flipping out about how it is just TV was a truly gross.”
Holmes’ legal and personal status
Holmes, who was convicted of four counts of fraud in 2022, began serving her 11-year prison sentence in May 2023. The documentary captures her final days before incarceration, offering a rare glimpse into her life post-conviction. Holmes has previously criticized the media’s portrayal of her, including Seyfried’s role in The Dropout, calling it a distortion of her story.
The film’s release coincides with renewed public interest in the Theranos scandal, which has been the subject of multiple documentaries, books, and a fictionalized Hulu series. You Can See Everything is positioned as a more intimate and unfiltered account of Holmes’ downfall, though its objectivity has been a subject of debate among viewers and critics.
Box office and cultural impact
The documentary’s commercial success has exceeded expectations, earning $15 million in its opening weekend despite playing in only 855 theaters. Its performance has been compared to other critically acclaimed documentaries like Fahrenheit 1251 and The Act of Killing, which also achieved strong box office returns relative to their limited releases.
The film’s cultural impact extends beyond its critical and commercial success. It has sparked conversations about the responsibility of documentary filmmakers, the ethics of reenactments, and the role of media in shaping public memory of controversial figures. Some viewers have praised the film for its nuanced approach to Holmes’ story, while others argue it sensationalizes her downfall.
Oscar campaign and historical significance
The documentary’s Oscar campaign highlights its technical achievements, including cinematography, editing, and its three-hour runtime. If nominated for Best Picture, it would be the first documentary in Academy Awards history to receive such a distinction. The film’s producers have emphasized its groundbreaking approach to documentary storytelling, which blends observational footage with dramatic recreations.
The Academy’s decision to consider a documentary for Best Picture would mark a significant shift in how the Oscars evaluate nonfiction films. Previous documentaries nominated for Best Picture, such as O.J.: Made in America and 13th, have won in that category, but none have been submitted for Best Picture itself.
Broader implications for documentary filmmaking
The success of You Can See Everything has raised questions about the future of documentary filmmaking, particularly in how filmmakers balance truth, ethics, and entertainment. The film’s use of Seyfried to recreate conversations with Holmes has been both praised for its boldness and criticized for its potential to distort the documentary’s objectivity.
Critics have noted that the film leaves many questions unanswered, including Holmes’ motivations, the role of her investors, and the broader implications of the Theranos scandal. Some viewers have described the film as a meta-commentary on documentary ethics, while others see it as a straightforward portrayal of Holmes’ final days before incarceration.
The documentary’s release has also reignited debates about celebrity culture and redemption, particularly in how high-profile figures like Holmes are portrayed in media. Some argue that the film humanizes Holmes, while others believe it exploits her story for dramatic effect.