A three‑hour deep‑dive into the rise and fall of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has become the second‑best‑selling advance‑ticket title in the history of the Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain, trailing only Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday. The film, titled You Can See Everything, is an A24‑backed documentary directed by Lance Oppenheim and comedian Nathan Fielder. It opens in limited release on Oct. 16 and immediately generated buzz thanks to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and a clandestine production schedule that captured Holmes in the final weeks before she reported to federal prison.
Record‑Breaking Presales
According to Deadline, advance sales for You Can See Everything rank it just behind the superhero blockbuster Avengers: Doomsday at the dine‑in theater chain. A24 reports that the documentary has the strongest advance‑ticket performance of any release in its catalog and of any documentary ever shown at the Sony‑owned venues. While the exact number of tickets sold has not been disclosed, industry observers note that the presale momentum signals unusually high audience interest for a non‑fiction feature.
Behind the Scenes
Oppenheim and Fielder shot the 174‑minute picture in secret during early 2023, gaining unprecedented access to Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, while she remained free on bail. The directors opted for a boxy 4:3 aspect ratio and tight close‑ups, creating an intimate visual style that places viewers directly across from Holmes during long, dead‑pan conversations about a possible Theranos revival. Notably, neither Holmes nor Evans has viewed the finished cut; Evans reportedly declined after a falling‑out with the crew, while Holmes remains incarcerated following her 2022 conviction for defrauding investors.
Critical Acclaim
The documentary debuted unannounced at the Telluride Film Festival on Sept. 6 and instantly earned a 100 % fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on twenty reviews. Subsequent screenings—including a showcase at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles—attracted notable figures such as Obsession director Curry Barker, Lanterns co‑creator Damon Lindelof, and actress Clea DuVall. Critics have praised the film’s unflinching look at Holmes’s psyche and its ability to humanize a figure often reduced to caricature in popular media.
Production Challenges
Making the documentary was not without friction. Oppenheim revealed that communication with Evans deteriorated after the latter attempted to exert editorial control, prompting Evans to withdraw from the project. Fielder explained that his interest in the subject sprang from reading John Carreyrou’s investigative book Bad Blood, which he considered a comprehensive account of the fraud. To better understand Holmes’s perspective, Fielder screened the Hulu series The Dropout with her and Evans; a scene depicting Holmes and former partner Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani triggered an emotional response that informed the documentary’s tone. Amanda Seyfried, who portrayed Holmes in The Dropout, appears in You Can See Everything both as herself and in character, adding a meta‑layer to the narrative.
What’s Next
While Avengers: Doomsday will not hit theaters until Dec. 18, You Can See Everything continues its limited run, with plans for broader distribution contingent on audience response. The film’s strong presale numbers suggest that distributors may expand its reach beyond the current art‑house circuit, potentially bringing the Theranos story to a wider public eager for insight into one of Silicon Valley’s most notorious scandals.
The success of You Can See Everything at the Alamo Drafthouse box office underscores a growing appetite for sophisticated, character‑driven documentaries that challenge viewers to reconsider well‑known headlines. By blending intimate interviews, stylized framing, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths, Oppenheim and Fielder have delivered a work that stands not only as a record‑setting presale title but also as a significant contribution to contemporary non‑fiction cinema.
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