You Can See Everything, comedian Nathan Fielder's documentary about Elizabeth Holmes' last days of freedom before being sent to prison for fraud, is now in theaters. So, now audiences curious and dubious can see for themselves if it lives up to the hype.
From the moment the internet got a glimpse of You Can See Everything, people have been obsessed. Rumors about what the movie contained sparked out of its Telluride Film Festival premiere, and grew more intense at its New York Film Festival debut.
That's where this critic saw the film. And in the span of its nearly three-hour runtime, I went from dubious about its conceit to a believer in its brilliance.
In my review, I wrote: "The project seemed preposterous, like something born from MadLibs or a brain-rot meme."
But whether you want to know more before you purchase a ticket or want to make sense of what you've just seen or just want to be up on the discourse, we're now going into spoilers for You Can See Everything.
Is this a real documentary?
Yes. Co-directed by Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim (Primetime), You Can See Everything documents the 34 days of Holmes' life ahead of her incarceration for fraud.
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The film employs fly-on-the-wall footage around the home she shares with her partner, Billy Evans, and their children. It also includes interviews conducted by Fielder with Holmes, Evans, and her parents, as well as re-enactment sequences.
Why is You Can See Everything rated R?
Mainly because the film includes full frontal nudity.
Who is naked in You Can See Everything?
Billy Evans is filmed in the shower of the rental home that he and Holmes share ahead of her incarceration.
What's the context of the teaser, where Holmes stares?
Days before her incarceration, Fielder speaks with her without Evans around to get a sense of what she might be hiding. It plays out in the movie as it does in the teaser.
Is Nathan Fielder playing a character or himself?
This will be a matter debated by his fans. Compared to Nathan for You or The Rehearsal, Fielder is less comedically wooden in You Can See Everything. He more often cracks a smile or is openly incredulous or challenging. However, there are scenes of deep social discomfort that play well to his style of comedy.
Does the doc go up to the present day?
No. The film ends around the winter of 2025.
In a Q&A following the New York Film Festival premiere of You Can See Everything, Fielder and Oppenheim revealed that communication with the couple broke down from there.
Has Elizabeth Holmes seen You Can See Everything?
In the NYFF Q&A, Fielder confirmed she had not.
Has Billy Evans seen You Can See Everything?
In the NYFF Q&A, Fielder confirmed he had not.
Who's running Elizabeth Holmes' social media accounts?
Is Amanda Seyfried in You Can See Everything?
Yes. Among some of the more mind-bending elements of this documentary, Fielder urges Holmes to watch The Dropout with him while cameras roll. The Dropout was a critically acclaimed Hulu mini-series in which Amanda Seyfried played Holmes; she later won an Emmy for her performance.
Ahead of You Can See Everything's theatrical release, Seyfried seemed to deny any knowledge of the documentary.
Asked about her rumored involvement in the doc while on the red carpet for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, Seyfried told Entertainment Tonight, "It's Nathan Fielder, and I know what he does. It's wild. And everybody's saying it's wild. So, I don't know. I want to know more."
Seyfried is in You Can See Everything, and in more than just clips from The Dropout.
Fielder reached out to Seyfried because of her Emmy–winning turn in The Dropout to dissect some of his interactions with Holmes. Then, he invited her to re-enact other interactions, with Seyfried in the Holmes role. Christopher Abbott also appears, playing Billy Evans.
Is Elizabeth Holmes lying to Nathan Fielder?
This is the biggest question presented by You Can See Everything. The film leaves it up to the viewer to decide who to trust. The final act even calls Fielder's perspective into question, as he reflects on his feelings about "Liz" and how that impacts whether or not he can believe her.
At the NYFF Q&A, Fielder and Oppenheim said the crew was often divided on what a scene or moment meant. And the film's tight aspect ratio, which offers a close look at its subjects' micro-expressions, urges viewers to look close and decide for themselves. So, who do you believe?
Who's on first?
Who.
You Can See Everything Is Now playing in theaters.