This new documentary, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, follows Elizabeth Holmes in the 34 days before she reported to prison for wire fraud and the conspiracy surrounding her startup Theranos. Holmes invited the film crew to document her daily life during this intense period of time. The film has been kept secret for the last few years and premiered at a surprise screening at the Telluride Film Festival on September 6 of this year. The film is set to hit theaters on October 16.
Fielder lived with Holmes, her partner Billy Evans, and their children during the 34-day period. Prior to filming, the filmmakers were skeptical about the project and began filming without a deadline or obligation to produce a finished film. However, over the course of filming, Nathan Fielder claims that he knew they had a compelling story when crew members disagreed about what was happening in the household.Â
Overview of the creators
Fielder is known for his awkward persona, deadpan delivery, and works that blur the line between reality and fiction. His most well-known television shows are Nathan for You, The Rehearsal, and The Curse.Â
Oppenheim is a filmmaker and producer, known for blending nonfiction storytelling with cinematic formalism. His most popular movies include Some Kind of Heaven and the recent A24 film Primetime.Â
What was Theranos?
Founded in 2003 by 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes, Theranos was a startup that claimed it could perform hundreds of medical tests using only a few drops of blood. The company developed the “Edison,” a blood-testing device that Holmes claimed could perform a variety of tests from a small finger-prick blood sample, ultimately eliminating the need for large needles and vials. The idea attracted major attention from investors, and from 2013 to 2014, Theranos raised more than $700 million from investors and reached a valuation of around $9 billion. Theranos also formed partnerships with major phramacy retailers, such as Walgreens, to make its blood-testing services more accessible.
The scandal gained widespread attention in 2015 when Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou exposed extensive corruption within the company. His investigation revealed that Theranos’ technology could not reliably produce the accurate results it claimed. To compensate for its technology’s limitations, Theranos outsourced conventional blood tests while implying they were performed using its own technology. This raised serious concerns about the accuracy of patients’ medical results and ultimately led to the company’s collapse.
Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani’s Relationship
Holmes and Sunny Balwani met in Beijing in 2002 during a Stanford Mandarin study abroad program when she was 18 and he was 37. In 2002, Balwani’s wife, Keiko Fujimoto, filed for divorce. Balwani’s and Holmes’ relationship became romantic shortly after the divorce. Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, and in 2005, she and Balwani began living together. Their relationship was largely concealed from employees and investors. Years later, in 2009, Balwani officially joined Theranos after personally guaranteeing a $10 million loan and eventually became the company’s chief operating officer. When public scrutiny and tensions surrounding Theranos intensified, the couple ended their professional and romantic relationship in 2016.
The Trial
Holmes was convicted in January 2022 on four counts: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud, all involving investors. She was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Her former partner and Theranos chief operating officer, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in prison for fraud and conspiracy. The discrepancy in their sentencing is because Balwani was convicted on additional charges relating to patients. Holmes maintained that she was innocent throughout the trial and testified that Balwani had coerced, controlled, and abused her. Balwani denied these allegations.
Whether you followed the Theranos scandal as it unfolded or are just learning about it now, You Can See Everything offers a new perspective on a story that has captivated the public for more than a decade. Now, with the history of Theranos and Holmes’ story in mind, audiences can step into the documentary knowing how she got here.