Going into Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder’s documentary “You Can See Everything,” I was dealing with mixed expectations. I think Oppenheim is one of the most talented documentary filmmakers currently working, thanks to feature films “Some Kind of Heaven” and “Spermworld” and HBO series “Ren Faire.” But I can’t stand Fielder and his prank-style cringe-comedy reality shows “Nathan for You” and “The Rehearsal.”
So despite the over-the-top positive reactions from early film festival screenings, I wasn’t sure how I would respond to the duo’s film about convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes.
- Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
- Verdict: “You Can See Everything” is a bold, innovative documentary from alt-comedy creator Nathan Fielder and nonfiction filmmaker Lance Oppenheim, offering a fascinating look at convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes. Fielder and Oppenheim find new ways to examine the evasive and mysterious Holmes while also questioning their own motives as documentarians.
- Where to watch: Opens in theaters Oct. 16
Although Fielder’s onscreen presence is prominent, especially in the second half of the nearly three-hour movie, “You Can See Everything” feels more serious and less smug than his TV shows, perhaps because the often manipulative Fielder is facing someone nearly as manipulative as he is, if not more so. Oppenheim’s familiar oversaturated visual style is toned down a bit, but “You Can See Everything” still looks more cinematic than Fielder’s TV shows, and even before the movie starts relying heavily on re-enactments, it has a docu-fiction feel, as Oppenheim has employed in his past work.
As someone deeply skeptical of Fielder’s persona and vision, I found myself mostly engrossed by “You Can See Everything,” particularly during the first half, in which Fielder spends time with Holmes and her husband, Billy Evans, in the month before her incarceration.
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