A new documentary is offering an unusually intimate look at Elizabeth Holmes, the convicted founder of failed blood-testing company Theranos.
You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, begins 34 days before Holmes entered federal prison in 2023. According to distributor A24, Holmes invited a film crew to document her final weeks at home, beginning what became a three-year project.
The film premiered as a surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival and is scheduled to arrive in theaters in October. It is the first documentary about Holmes in which she actively participated, People reported.
In the film’s official teaser, Holmes insists to Fielder that she has no reason to deceive him. When he asks whether she is being authentic at that moment, Holmes responds, “I’m always being real.”
This documentary, due to Holmes’ willingness to participate, is possibly another attempt at rewriting her narrative. In January, Dark Daily reported that Elizabeth Holmes’ clemency request has renewed attention on the Theranos scandal and its lasting impact on laboratory oversight. The case remains a warning that hype and prominent connections cannot replace scientific validation, transparency, and accountability. The Dark Report took a deeper dive into what clemency to commute her sentence would mean for the clinical laboratory industry.
Separating performance from laboratory evidence
Fielder is an unconventional choice to examine the Theranos founder. Through projects including Nathan for You and The Rehearsal, the Canadian comedian and filmmaker has become known for creating elaborate situations that blur the boundaries among reality, performance, manipulation, and filmmaker intervention.
Fielder’s background could make him particularly suited to examining Holmes, whose public identity and carefully controlled corporate messaging helped Theranos attract prominent investors, business partners, and extensive media coverage. However, Fielder’s methods also may give viewers reason to approach the documentary as an interpretation of Holmes rather than a straightforward historical account. Intimate access to Holmes and her family does not necessarily establish whether she is presenting her authentic self or constructing another public identity.
For clinical laboratory professionals and pathologists, the distinction could be potentially important. Theranos claimed its proprietary technology could perform numerous clinical laboratory tests using small quantities of blood. Holmes was ultimately convicted of defrauding Theranos investors concerning the company’s capabilities and business performance.
The documentary could renew public interest in Holmes, but laboratory professionals may be more interested in whether it adequately addresses the testing, quality, regulatory, and patient-safety failures underlying the scandal.
Regardless of whether the film reveals a previously unseen side of Holmes, the Theranos collapse remains a warning that compelling leadership, investor enthusiasm, and sophisticated marketing cannot substitute for properly validated methods, transparent oversight, and reliable clinical laboratory results.
