Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Opens to $15 Million Amid Debate Over Portrayal

"You Can See Everything" follows Elizabeth Holmes during her last days of freedom before imprisonment for fraud, according to Mashable Tech. Directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim and released by A24, it entered theaters with an audience already familiar with the Theranos founder, but considerable secrecy around the film itself.

The project was not an obvious commitment for its filmmakers. IndieWire Movies reported that Fielder was skeptical he could break new ground in the Holmes story and negotiated a kill switch with A24. The Hollywood Reporter reported that he initially did not want to appear on camera, until Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans, changed his mind.

On October 16, IndieWire Movies reported $1.75 million in Thursday previews and an expected opening weekend of $7 million to $8 million. Those early expectations would prove substantially below the eventual estimate.

The first wave of reviews focused on the film's approach to its subject. Reason called it an act of radical empathy, while a Business Insider critic described the unsettling experience of wanting to believe Holmes. TechCrunch framed the film as an examination of authenticity involving both Holmes and Fielder.

Evans also addressed the portrayal on October 16. According to Variety Movies, he acknowledged that Holmes looked "insane" in the trailer but defended the decision to participate, urging viewers to make up their own minds.

By October 17, interest was spreading beyond ordinary ticket sales. Business Insider reported that technology companies and venture capital firms were hosting private screenings. Forbes reported rising engagement with the Holmes drama "The Dropout" and John Carreyrou's book "Bad Blood" ahead of the documentary's release.

On October 18, IndieWire Movies reported a $15 million opening weekend. The Hill reported 2,000 sold-out shows during the limited release, while Deadline Hollywood described A24's marketing and the accompanying meme craze.

On October 19, the debate gained a specific challenge to Holmes's account. Forbes reported that Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz alleged she had "completely misled" Fielder about the company's technology in a scene. Separately, Variety Movies reported Fielder's account of a prison call from Holmes shortly before release, during which she repeatedly said, "I trust you."

The estimated $15 million debut came from 855 screens across the United States and Canada, according to the BBC. That makes the opening substantially larger than the initial forecast, despite the film's roughly three-hour running time.

The coverage does not agree on the precise record. The Daily Beast Latest Articles described it as the biggest documentary opening since 2013's "One Direction: This Is Us," while cnn.com called it the biggest in more than 20 years. TechCrunch described it as the second-biggest documentary opening ever. The supplied reports do not resolve those differing comparisons.

The commercial success has not settled the argument over the portrayal. Evans has defended participating, while Shultz's allegation raises a narrower question about how the film presents Theranos's technology. Those are distinct issues from how many people bought tickets.

The opening estimate is the immediate benchmark for subsequent box office results. The supplied coverage does not establish whether demand will hold beyond the debut weekend or whether the release will expand.

Shultz's allegation is another unresolved point. Forbes reports his challenge to a specific scene, but the supplied coverage provides no response to that allegation from Holmes or the filmmakers.