Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes documentary opens to an estimated $15 million in US and Canada

A strong opening in North America

You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, took an estimated $15 million over its opening weekend in North America. The film finished second behind the Capcom video game adaptation Street Fighter, which earned an estimated $31 million according to Sunday industry estimates. Distributor A24 said the nearly three-hour documentary recorded more than 2,000 sold-out screenings from just 855 cinemas. A24 also described the debut as the biggest opening for a non-musical documentary in North America since Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004. Early analyst forecasts had ranged from $7 million to $8 million before rising to $12 million closer to release.

What the film covers

The documentary begins 34 days before Holmes was due to surrender at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas. She was convicted in November 2022 on four counts of fraud and conspiracy over lying about the capabilities of the blood-testing technology at Theranos, the company she founded, and was sentenced to 11 years. She began serving that term in May 2023. Holmes, now 42, had seen Theranos valued at $9 billion before its claims unravelled, and she was ordered to pay $452 million in damages. Filmed in secret over three years, the documentary also looks at her life with partner Billy Evans and their two young children. Fielder spent more than a month with Holmes and her family, according to SRF.

Critics and audiences

Critics have rated the film highly. As of the Guardian's report, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 99% rating from 117 reviews, and the film has a Metacritic score of 99 out of 100. Audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes stand at 98%, according to Spiegel Online. Its surprise premiere at the Telluride festival in September was followed by a bizarre trailer from A24 that kept interest high. Awards watchers are already speculating that the film could become the first documentary nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, according to Vulture.

Behind the camera

On the last day before Holmes entered prison, Oppenheim drove her family to the facility so the camera could capture her arrival, according to Vulture. Cinematographer David Bolen filmed from the trunk of the car with his camera trained on Holmes's face. Bolen recalled that Fielder and Oppenheim argued over the approach. He said of Oppenheim:

No matter how awkward the ask is, Lance will make the ask.

Oppenheim, 30, had just premiered his first narrative feature, Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, in Venice. The film opens in Portuguese cinemas on 12 November and in Irish cinemas from 20 November, while no German release date has been announced.