Full Breakdown
You Can See Everything: A Documentary’s Box-Office Surge and Its Portrait of Elizabeth Holmes
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The A24 documentary You Can See Everything, co-directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, opened in U.S. theaters on October 16 2026 and earned an estimated $15 million over its opening weekend from 855 screens, taking second place behind Paramount’s Street Fighter. The film follows Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes during the 34 days before she reported to federal prison on May 30 2023 and includes footage after her incarceration.
Background & Context
Holmes founded Theranos in 2003, was once valued at $9 billion, and was convicted in 2022 of wire fraud and conspiracy. Prior portrayals include the 2019 HBO documentary *The Inventor* and the 2022 Hulu miniseries *The Dropout*. A secret screening at the Telluride Film Festival on September 6 2026 introduced the film, after which A24 launched a low-key campaign that relied heavily on social-media memes.
Timeline
- September 6 2026 – Secret premiere at Telluride.
- October 16 2026 – U.S. theatrical release (U.K. release on November 20).
- Opening weekend (Oct 16-18) – $15 million gross, >2,000 sell-out screenings.
- May 30 2023 – Holmes begins prison term (context for pre-prison footage).
Data & Statistics
- Opening-weekend gross: $15 million from 855 theaters.
- Sell-out count: >2,000 screenings.
- Audience age: >70 % under 35.
- Critical reception: 99 % on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic; 98 % audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
- Production budget: under $7 million; marketing under $10 million.
- Comparative record: second-largest documentary debut after Michael Moore’s *Fahrenheit 9/11* ($23.9 million, 2004); largest opening for a film on fewer than 1,000 screens since *Borat* ($26.5 million, 2006).
Official Statements & Responses
- Rentrak provided the $15 million estimate and noted that overall weekend ticket sales rose 45 % year-over-year, partly driven by the documentary’s performance.
- Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends for Rentrak, said that “Everybody underestimated the movie, because on paper this is like, wait, a three-hour documentary?” (paraphrased).
- The filmmakers announced a wider release the following weekend, expanding beyond the initial 855 venues.
On-the-Ground Reports
- Audiences in Manhattan reported tickets sold out within hours, with many scrambling for the few remaining seats.
- PostTrak surveys recorded a 91 % “definite recommend” rate, indicating strong word-of-mouth momentum among younger moviegoers.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Street Fighter’s opening is cited as $31 million by US News and $30 million by Variety, a minor discrepancy.
- Audience gender split is reported as 56 % men / 44 % women by Tribune, while other sources provide no breakdown.
- Neither Holmes nor Evans has issued a detailed public comment on the film’s content beyond brief social-media posts.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Everybody underestimated the movie, because on paper this is like, wait, a three-hour documentary?” — Paul Dergarabedian
- “So this is the famous scam device,” — Nathan Fielder, director
- “So the whole idea was here she is. See her and make up your own mind,” — Billy Evans
What’s Next
- A24 will expand the film to a wide U.S. release next weekend, increasing the theater count beyond the opening-week 855 venues.
- Holmes is scheduled for release from prison on February 22 2030, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.