Documentaries are supposed to remain objective, offering the viewer an outside perspective into an environment left otherwise untouched.
But co-creators Lance Oppenheim and comedian Nathan Fielder turn the genre on its head with their newest work, “<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/you-can-see-everything/” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>You Can See Everything.”
The film, covering disgraced entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes and her medical startup Theranos, was released on Oct. 16 and hit the ground running, debuting on Letterboxd with a 4.7 star rating, becoming the highest-rated feature film before dropping to a 4.6. It currently sits with a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Encouraging the audience to come to their own conclusions, the nearly three-hour-long documentary explores what happens when objectivity meets underlying bias.
Sent to live with Holmes in the 34 days leading up to her prison sentence of ten years and three months, Fielder and a crew of filmmakers got the unique experience to document the personal life of the widely known fraudster as well as interview her in her final days before incarceration.
During the first hour of the film, audiences might expect to just observe Holmes’ private life. However, the documentary truly begins after her prison sentences starts, becoming investigative and leaving the audience on the edge of their seats, with her partner Billy Evans becoming crucial to the project.
“You Can See Everything” is by no means the first documentary in relation to Theranos or Holmes. Many documentaries and a Hulu drama mini-series based on her story, “The Dropout,” featuring Amanda Seyfried, all prove that this case has piqued the interest of the media over the years.
Seyfried is also included in Oppenheim’s new documentary, sharing personal accounts and acting as Holmes in reenactments.
However, Oppenheim and Fielder’s latest work breaks away from past, mainstream portrayals.
Not only do they find additional nuance on the already discussed case, but they also explore Holmes’ personal life after her sentence begins, taking an unusual approach to their depiction of Holmes — similar to Oppenheim’s technique in his preceding A24 film, “Primetime.”
The film’s innovative style creates a new standard for what a docu-style project should consist of, making the long runtime entrancing from start to finish.
The viewer is in the shoes of a crew member, creating an immersive experience for the audience and leaving them questioning if they too just got manipulated through a screen.
The audience sees Fielder begin to question his opinion in real time, highlighting the inevitable partiality that comes with getting to know someone.
These experimental details — very consistent with the rest of A24’s work — offer commentary not just into traditional documentaries, but on all of media by reflecting just how curated the content we usually consume is.
Most documentaries typically would not include the behind-the-scenes mishaps that the audience sees in the film. Conceding that there was a bias in the making of a project dedicated to the truth would typically deter an audience, but in “You Can See Everything,” this has quite the opposite effect.
The unfiltered, raw moments do a great job of allowing the viewer to feel uncertain, encouraging discussion surrounding the subjects and events of the documentary.
In a case as infamous as Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, it’s expected that people had preconceived notions going into the film.
Holmes was found guilty federally of three counts of wire fraud involving her company and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The scandal impacted hundreds of thousands of individuals, with many health-centered programs administering the fraudulent tests, including ASU.
In spite of all the noise around Holmes and Theranos, the filmmakers did not make a claim, instead laying the information out for the audience to sift through and form their own opinions.
“You Can See Everything” is exemplary of what a documentary can become when authenticity is prioritized over a narrative the media wants to portray. Challenging the typical hallmarks of the documentary genre, this film goes above and beyond by proving just how easily something meant to be objective can become subjective.
This film is a masterclass in journalism, working to uphold integrity and honesty in a high-profile case. The praise it received was well-earned and both Oppenheim and Fielder have played an essential role in transforming documentaries as we know them.
Although no documentary has ever been awarded for an Academy Award Best Picture, “You Can See Everything” very well might make a change.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Reach the reporter at evwestfa@asu.edu and follow @ellwestfall on X.
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Ellie WestfallThe Echo Reporter
Ellie Westfall is a Reporter for The Echo at The State Press. This is her first semester working with The State Press, and she is in her second year at ASU with a double major in Journalism and Political Science.
- evwestfa@asu.edu
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