‘You Can See Everything’ Review: Nathan Fielder’s Documentary About Elizabeth Holmes Is a Shameless, Fascinating, Reality-TV-Eats-Its-Tale Look at Entitled Duplicity
"You Can See Everything" is about the furthest thing from a "pure" documentary you’ve ever seen. That’s part of its appeal — it’s a one-a-kind reality-TV-as-hangout-movie psychodrama circus. Yet it’s been made with a spirit of genuine inquiry, driven by Fielder’s acidly quizzical
The documentary "You Can See Everything" is getting a lot of attention for its unconventional take on the Elizabeth Holmes story, and it's easy to see why - Nathan Fielder's approach is refreshingly shameless, blending reality TV with a hangout movie vibe that's equal parts fascinating and cringeworthy. By embracing its own artifice, the film offers a unique lens through which to examine the entitled duplicity of its subject, Holmes.
This kind of meta-documentary approach is not new to Fielder, who has built a career on pushing the boundaries of nonfiction storytelling. His previous work, such as "Nathan for You," has demonstrated his ability to balance humor and critique, often using reality TV tropes to comment on the human condition. Here, he applies that same sensibility to the Holmes story, resulting in a film that's as much about the performance of documentary filmmaking as it is about the Theranos founder herself.
As the documentary world continues to evolve, "You Can See Everything" is a notable example of the genre's possibilities. What's next to watch is how audiences and filmmakers respond to this kind of experimental approach - will it inspire a new wave of hybrid documentaries, or will it remain a curiosity? One thing is certain: Fielder's film is a must-see for anyone interested in the intersections of reality TV, documentary filmmaking, and the cult of personality that surrounds figures like Elizabeth Holmes.
Originally reported by variety.com. RaveNews adds analysis for culture, style & media readers.