Nathan Fielder's 'You Can See Everything' Offers a Singular Lens on Elizabeth Holmes

Thirty-four days before Elizabeth Holmes began her 11-year prison sentence for conspiracy and fraud, she and her partner, Billy Evans, allowed a film crew into their California home. The stated intention was to help the public understand the real Holmes, a narrative they felt had been misrepresented by media coverage and television series like Hulu's "The Dropout."

In a surprising turn, Holmes and Evans enlisted Nathan Fielder, a comedian known for his absurdist approach to blending fiction and reality in shows such as "Nathan for You" and "The Rehearsal." Fielder, along with co-director Lance Oppenheim, documented Holmes and Evans' life with their two young children in the days leading up to Holmes' incarceration. Fielder, initially hesitant, eventually accepted an offer to stay with the family.

The resulting film, "You Can See Everything," defies easy categorization. It has been described as a piece of performance art, wildly entertaining, confounding, and entirely unique. The film is structured so that Fielder himself becomes a character, observed by the audience as he navigates the subjects' lives. His directorial style involves direct and perceptive questioning, often lingering in silence to allow for moments of genuine, unvarnished interaction. He probes deeper than typical polite conversation, seeking explanations for statements made by Holmes and Evans.

Holmes maintains her innocence, asserting that her blood-testing technology worked as intended and that she never lied. The film explores these claims, including a moment where she directly asks Fielder, "Why would I deceive you?"

Evans emerges as a particularly enigmatic figure in the documentary. His early interactions with Fielder suggest a level of contention, and Fielder examines various oddities in their relationship, including Evans' account of their first meeting and his tendency to dominate situations. The dynamic between Holmes and Evans presents a puzzling picture, potentially diverging from the public relations campaign they may have intended.

"You Can See Everything" also delves into a 2023 New York Times profile that quoted Holmes saying, "They’re not playing me. They’re playing a character I created." Holmes and Evans contest this quote, claiming they recorded the conversation and that she was misquoted, though they did not allow Fielder to listen to their recording. The New York Times has stood by its reporting.

The film presents several such disconnects, some stemming from semantics and others offering metaphorical interpretations of the larger narrative. This ambiguity may prompt viewers to question their own perceptions of reality.

Details about a specific secret element within the film are being withheld by the filmmakers and studios. "You Can See Everything," rated R for language and some graphic nudity, runs for 174 minutes and was released in theaters. The review awards the film four out of four stars.