"You Can See Everything" REVIEW

Published on 10/21/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim 

Cast: Nathan Fielder, Elizabeth Holmes, etc. 

Plot: Thirty-four days before she's sent to prison, notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait becomes a mind-bending three-year journey. 

REVIEW 

It's crazy to think that just over a month ago, this documentary's existence was kept a secret until its surprise world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival. Now, it's become one of the biggest independent cinema hits of the year that's being treated like a must-see event (here in Nashville, TN at The Belcourt Theatre there has been sold out screening after sold out screening), is critically the most acclaimed film since "Parasite" in 2019, currently holds one of the all-time highest user average ratings on Letterboxd, is generating all sorts of awards buzz, and all in all has droves of film-fans, critics, and audiences alike hopping aboard the train of clamoring with the word "masterpiece" on the tip of their tongues. I've bought my fare and have got a nickel to spare for hopping on that very train. "You Can See Everything" floored me. It made me feel a certain way about a movie and about cinema in general that I haven't felt in years, a certain sense of pure exhilaration that had me shaking with shock, awe, and reverence. We all go to the movies to feel something, I've—whether I like to admit it or not—built my life around feeling movies and this film made me feel in a way that brings me more personal excitement than any other aspect of life offers. It's game-changing, riveting films such as "You Can See Everything" and the feelings that they give me that brought to the point in life where I'm at today, sitting down with my laptop trying my best to capture with words the insurmountable exercise of conveying to others that feeling inside that keeps me moving forward. 

You don't need to be familiar with/remember the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos to properly experience this film, nor do you have to be familiar with elevated-comedic mind Nathan Fielder's television work, but I've got to admit it helps add to the overall pleasures of entry into this rabbit hole of a film. In preparation for this film's release, just mere days ago I finished watching the second season of Nathan Fielder's hit HBO series "The Rehearsal"—a show that's roll-on-the-floor comedy, purpose, and brilliance consistently shocked me. This film is even next level compared to that. To me, it feels as if co-directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim (fresh off of directing last month's A24 hit with "Primetime" starring Robert Pattinson) have pushed the boundaries of what filmmaking is and can be with "You Can See Everything". This isn't just a documentary, this isn't just a movie. This isn't non-fiction, this isn't fiction. It's both, and it's neither at the same time. This film is a fusion of reality, perception, speculation, heartbreak, and humor that culminates into one piece of filmmaking that's out-of-the-box ambition, weight, and entertainment feels like an evolutionary breakthrough in what cinema, storytelling, and documentation can be. It's as much an unnervingly complex study of human psychology, deception, and love as it is an absolutely hilarious crowd-sensation that had tears of laughter rolling down the cheeks of my audience. 

I've never before seen a room of people roar with laughter, cheer and clap, murmur with quiet (or some not so quiet) comments, and loudly gasp in genuine shock quite like my crowd did with this film. Then, by its end we all left the theater wide-eyed in disbelief. I kept repeating to myself "holy shit, holy shit, holy shit" struggling to find other words to say. Eventually in the line out of the theater, a lady in front of me with the same expression of astonishment turned around to say "I know, right?". For the most part, I adore this modern day of film culture where more than ever before film-fans, cinephiles, and regular healthy people can connect on how much they adore cinema. Financially, 2026 is the biggest year the movies have ever had and I'd argue that culturally is one of the biggest as well. However, in this state of film culture, criticism, and discussion I've long had one major gripe—the constant overuse of the word "masterpiece," by both major publications/critics and film-watchers alike. If a new film at a film festival is even slightly good or god forbid great, you've got masses of people throwing the word "masterpiece" out like it's candy. I say all that in the hope to bring some semblance of meaning and loft when I call this film a masterpiece. I don't use that word often, I refuse to use that word often, but I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that it applies to this film. Hands down, "You Can See Everything" is the best film of 2026 and one of the best films I've seen in years. 

FIVE BEST ELEMENTS

(For times that it feels exclusively fitting and for films that I am very excited about, I will be including my "five best elements" instead of my traditional three.)

• Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's direction. Together, this co-directing duo created a masterpiece. For years Fielder has been one of the most brilliant minds in comedy, but with his direction of this film he's fully solidified himself as a genuine one-of-a-kind with a level of mastery in his image, purpose, and craft that feels entirely singular. I don't use this word lightly either: Nathan Fielder is a true genius. Alongside him, Lance Oppenheim is the extra ingredient of perfection that brings the film all together. Oppenheim shapes the film with a bountiful sense of cinematic understanding, utilizing his skills as both a documentary and narrative filmmaker to push boundaries as far as they can go. Invasive? Possibly. Psychologically stirring and beaming with purposeful exploration of the human mind and what we conceive as truth, absolutely. Fielder and Oppenheim's direction of this film is game-changing. 

• The editing. Possibly the most crucial element of this film is its editing. All films are formed and shaped within the delicate process of editing, especially documentaries—which means even more especially for this three-hour fusion of a film. In the editing room, this could've turned out as five or six other entirely differing versions of the same film. The fact that they landed on making this film what it is and doing so with such meticulous elasticity is a miracle. This film's editing is simply mind-blowing. Oh, and it contains both some of the funniest and most disturbing reaction cuts you'll ever see. 

• The cinematography. Shot by David Bolen, who worked alongside Lance Oppenheim on "Primetime" as well where his cinematography is equally as phenomenal, this film visually looks stunning throughout. Hyper-observational and seared with highly stylized tone, Bolen's intense cinematography is some of the finest of the year. Also, this film's colorist, Damien Van Der Cruyssen (who similarly worked with Oppenheim on "Primetime") deserves all the praise in the world for his masterful coloring of the film's cinematography. Between this and "Primetime" I'm convinced that Bolen and Cruyssen are a match made in cinematic heaven. 

• [REDACTED]'s performance. In the interest of keeping this film's secrets hidden, I can't name who this person is that is giving a performance—and yes, you read that right, this is a documentary that holds within it an acting performance as well as this performer's real-life self in the film. Especially considering the never-before-tested circumstances and extreme difficulty of the role, this performance is unequivocally unique and worthy of praise. 

• The score. An absolutely riveting, unsettling score of epic proportions when it comes to driving the emotions of the film forward. It's one of those rare masterworks of film music composition that I immediately recognized as truly special while actively listening to it within the film. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• Nothing notable to me. This film contains the least amount of flaws out of any film I've seen in years. 

RATING

10/10

It is the best film of the year, buddy!