Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s genre-bending documentary You Can See Everything
pulled in more than $15 million in ticket sales during its debut, securing the largest box office opening for a documentary in more than 20 years. The project focuses on disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, offering a look at her life before she reported to prison in 2023.
Despite a three-hour running time, weekend screenings in cities like New York and Los Angeles drew sold-out crowds. A24, the film’s distributor, called the rollout one of the largest limited-release openings of the 21st century.
The project debuted on fewer than 900 screens after a surprise premiere at the Telluride Film Festival.
Secret Production and Elizabeth Holmes’s Final Weeks Before Prison
Fielder and Oppenheim spent years developing the project in secret, capturing footage of Holmes alongside her partner, Billy Evans, during the weeks leading up to her 2023 imprisonment. Holmes was convicted of wire fraud and conspiracy to defraud Theranos investors, yet she continued attempting to convince the filmmakers of her innocence on camera. Fielder appears on camera interviewing Holmes and Evans, taking the film in unexpected directions.
Critics and audiences have responded with praise. The film holds a 99% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes alongside a 4.8 rating on Letterboxd. Writing for CNN, David Mack noted that the feature has rewritten the rules of documentaries as we know them,
adding that it absolutely lives up to the hype.
Box Office Comparisons and Historic Milestones
The film’s commercial performance places it alongside historic box office milestones. You Can See Everything
enjoyed the biggest opening for a film on fewer than 1,000 screens since Borat
in 2006. It also stands as the biggest non-music documentary since Fahrenheit 9/11
in 2004.
For comparison, Amazon MGM’s Melania
film about the first lady played on twice as many screens and made $7.1 million during its opening weekend—a figure considered a box-office success in documentary terms. By contrast, the Holmes project finished at No. 2 at the weekend box office in North America.
| Film | Estimated Opening Box Office | Screen Count |
|---|---|---|
| “You Can See Everything” | > $15 million | < 900 |
| “Melania” | $7.1 million | twice as many screens |
The weekend box office chart was topped by Paramount’s video game adaptation Street Fighter,
which generated an estimated $30 million from 3,575 screens. Paramount is owned by Skydance, which also owns CNN.
Critical Reception and Upcoming Nationwide Expansion
Following its limited run, the film is scheduled to open nationwide next weekend, positioning it to capitalize on buzz from its opening weekend. Some film critics have predicted it will receive a Best Picture nomination.
The documentary’s access to Holmes immediately prior to incarceration has left industry observers watching closely to see how general audiences receive the wider release.
