Fielder and Oppenheim's Elizabeth Holmes documentary premieres at New York Film Festival
"You Can See Everything", Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary on Elizabeth Holmes, had its New York Film Festival screening on Wednesday ahead of an A24 release on Oct. 16. Both outlets stress the filmmakers' plea to keep its twists secret.
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The story, neutrally told
Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, "You Can See Everything", screened at the New York Film Festival on Wednesday night at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center. The IndependentLC “premiered Wednesday at the New York Film Festival.” Read at The Independent ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “premiered at the New York Film Festival Wednesday night” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The Independent says it first appeared at a surprise, no-phones screening at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 6 and became one of the year's most talked-about films. The IndependentLC “Since first debuting in a surprise, no-phones screening at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 6” Read at The Independent ↗ The Hollywood Reporter counted an audience of 1,100, and the Independent says some people queued from 3 a.m. for the sold-out 8 p.m. showing. The Hollywood ReporterLC “an urbane audience of 1,100” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “lined up outside the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center as early as 3 a.m.” Read at The Independent ↗
The nearly three-hour film follows Holmes, the convicted founder of Theranos, in the 34 days before she reported to prison, with Fielder living in a guest house at the Del Mar, California home she shares with partner Billy Evans. The IndependentLC “captures Holmes, founder of the medical testing company Theranos, in the 34 days before reporting to prison”“Fielder lived in a guest house at their Del Mar, California, beachside home.” Read at The Independent ↗ Holmes entered a Texas prison in May 2023 after being convicted on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy. The IndependentLC “After her conviction on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy, Holmes entered a Texas prison in May 2023.” Read at The Independent ↗ Fielder said the filmmakers had no plan for where the project would go, and said at the Q&A that Holmes seemed genuine at times while also seeming to be a liar. The IndependentLC “There's no plan of what's going to happen next at any point,”” Read at The Independent ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “she seemed so genuine at times, but also clocking — tracking my thoughts — that she’s a liar,”” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗
Fielder said, "I am still struggling to this day to understand what I went through", and Oppenheim spoke of the crew's shared "cognitive dissonance". The Hollywood ReporterLC ““I am still struggling to this day to understand what I went through,” Fielder said.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ The IndependentLC “Every person who worked on this movie was going through a similar cognitive dissonance,”” Read at The Independent ↗ Both outlets say the filmmakers asked the audience not to reveal the film's surprises; the Independent mentions dramatic recreations with an A-list star, and the Hollywood Reporter says the last hour turns "considerably wilder". The IndependentLC “asked the Alice Tully Hall crowd to preserve the surprise twists and turns” Read at The Independent ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “The last hour gets considerably wilder” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ A24 will release the film on Oct. 16. The IndependentLC “which A24 will release Oct. 16” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets treat the screening as a buzzy cultural event. The Hollywood Reporter gives a first-person, review-like account of a raucous crowd; the Independent gives a more factual premiere report with Theranos background.
- Emphasis
- Audience reaction, the filmmakers' Q&A remarks, the request to protect the twists, and the film's playful questions about identity and performance. The Independent adds the Theranos fraud history and the sentences handed to Holmes and Balwani.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Neither outlet gives Holmes's or Evans's own response to the film. The Hollywood Reporter gives less of the Theranos background; the Independent offers little critical assessment of the film.
- Charged language
- “Raucous and Revealing”“hard-to-believe coda to a preposterous saga”“burgeoning phenomenon”
- For example
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“screaming with such gusto at every plot twist that you’d think A24 was re-releasing Midsommar” — The Hollywood Reporter
“is a hard-to-believe coda to a preposterous saga.” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- The film premiered at the New York Film Festival on Wednesday at Alice Tully Hall.
- It is a nearly three-hour documentary by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim about Elizabeth Holmes, to be released by A24.
- Fielder said at the event that Holmes seemed genuine yet like a liar, and that they still struggle to understand the experience.
- The filmmakers asked the audience to keep the film's twists secret.
Where accounts differ
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How long the filming lasted
- Left
- The Independent says the film was shot secretly over three years; the Hollywood Reporter says Fielder spent months of shooting Holmes unsure anything would materialise.
Nathan Fielder person
Fielder says the project was unplanned and that they remain baffled by the experience. They urged the audience to preserve the discovery.
“This is a path that opened up to us and we just followed it.”” — The Independent
““So if you can preserve the discovery that would be great.”” — The Hollywood Reporter
Elizabeth Holmes person
Holmes appears through the film and the outlets' accounts, not through comment. The Hollywood Reporter says she insists she is telling the truth and suggests she wants to clear her name.
“she insists she’s telling the truth and has always done so” — The Hollywood Reporter
“she wants to clear her name.” — The Hollywood Reporter
New York Film Festival event
The festival hosted the first New York screening; programming chief Dennis Lim introduced it as "three hours of that", a reference to the teaser.
““This is three hours of that.”” — The Hollywood Reporter
North America1 outlet
The Hollywood Reporter writes as an insider at the Lincoln Center event, centred on the crowd's reaction and the film's meta-humour.
“Nathan Fielder had met his match.” — The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
UK and Ireland1 outlet
The Independent runs a more explanatory report with background on Theranos and its collapse for readers who may not know the saga.
“The hype helped them raise nearly $1 billion from investors.” — The Independent
The Independent
Left2 articles
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Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Holds a Raucous and Revealing NYFF Screening
Celebratory A first-person, review-style account of an enthusiastic screening that praises the film as a victory of storytellers over engineers.
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No longer a secret, Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes doc ‘You Can See Everything’ lands in New York
Neutral A premiere report that combines Q&A quotes, Theranos background and release details, calling the film a buzzed-about, unconventional work.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 1 Oct 10:40 First The Hollywood ReporterLC Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Holds a Raucous and Revealing NYFF Screening
- 1 Oct 12:42 +2h 2m The IndependentLC No longer a secret, Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes doc ‘You Can See Everything’ lands in New York
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.