Criticism

‘You Can See Everything’ Examines Elizabeth Holmes’s Last Days with Boundary-Pushing Absurdity

By Catriona Vale, Craft & Criticism EditorSeptember 7, 2026

Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary blurs the lines between investigation and performance, exposing the murky reality behind Elizabeth Holmes’s final months before prison.

At the heart of ‘You Can See Everything’ is a seemingly straightforward premise: film a version of Elizabeth Holmes’s life as she approaches her incarceration, but the result is anything but traditional. Co-directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim admit they started with a vague idea, inspired by a magic show, and let the narrative unfold organically. The film’s 174-minute runtime is filled with reflective repetitions and unsettling moments that challenge viewers’ expectations of documentary storytelling, leaning into absurdity and ambiguity.

Holmes’s attempt to reclaim her story by inviting Fielder and Oppenheim into her home creates an atmosphere of voyeuristic intimacy. Her husband, Billy Evans, emerges as a controlling figure whose presence intensifies the film’s underlying tension. An early scene where Evans snatches a whisk from Holmes during breakfast exemplifies the unsettling dynamic explored throughout the film, blurring the line between support and dominance. This corrosive relationship prompts questions about control, truth, and the narrative Holmes seeks to craft. More context: Criticism.

Fielder’s role as an investigator becomes intertwined with the audience’s experience, as his probing questions and reflective framing invite viewers to scrutinize Holmes’s motives. The documentary’s structure, which eschews a clear thesis, allows the story to evolve unpredictably. Holmes’s public image as a scam artist is examined through a lens that is both critical and absurd, emphasizing the constructed nature of her persona and the elusive truth behind her story. More context: Criticism.

The film’s boundary-pushing approach is exemplified in its use of repetition and reflection, encouraging viewers to question what they see and what remains unseen. The filmmakers’ decision to document Holmes’s last days before prison, with no predetermined script, results in a layered portrait that feels both intimate and surreal. The audience is left to navigate the murky waters of manipulation, truth, and performance, as the documentary refuses to offer easy answers or closure.

‘You Can See Everything’ challenges the conventions of documentary filmmaking by combining investigative curiosity with absurdist humor. Its focus on Holmes’s personal space and complex relationships highlights how stories can be shaped by those who tell them. The film’s experimental nature invites viewers to consider the power dynamics at play and the extent to which reality can be constructed or deconstructed in pursuit of a narrative. It’s a provocative, boundary-pushing look at a woman whose story continues to fascinate and perplex.

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