Documentary on Elizabeth Holmes Sparks Criticism from Former Theranos Engineer

The documentary You Can See Everything, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, opened to an estimated $15 million, making it the second-largest debut for a documentary. The film follows Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks before she reported to prison in 2023 and presents her as a modest mother living in a San Diego rental.

Former Theranos research engineer Tyler Shultz, who helped expose the company’s faulty blood-testing technology, said the portrayal diverged from his experience. He told CBS Mornings that the Holmes he knew "completely commanded a room" but described the woman in the film as looking like "a broken woman." He added that a scene showing Holmes displaying a prototype device on a kitchen table was inaccurate, stating, "That is not the device!" He explained that the Edison machine he worked on could run only one test at a time, frequently failed quality controls, and produced unreliable results.

Shultz wrote that the documentary focused on a future version of the device that was never completed or used on patients, and that the interview with Fielder turned into a debate over whether Holmes was describing existing technology or speculative possibilities. He suggested that either Holmes outmaneuvered Fielder in their discussion or that Fielder allowed her to mislead the audience.

Fielder said he remains uncertain about what he witnessed during the film’s production and hopes viewers can help him understand the experience.

The film also revisits Holmes’s public image of a work-obsessed founder who claimed modest living despite her wealth. While the documentary shows her family in a modest-looking home, real-estate estimates place the property’s value at $5.8 million, contrasting with the $135 million estate she occupied during her trial. Shultz noted earlier reports described Holmes living in a Palo Alto condo, whereas she actually resided in an Atherton mansion with former Theranos executive Sunny Balwani.

Holmes has previously said that actors portraying her were "playing a character I created," a claim the documentary disputes. She and her partner Billy Evans say they recorded most media interviews but could not provide the recordings when requested.

Shultz acknowledged that Holmes may have suffered abuse by Balwani but emphasized that victimhood does not excuse her alleged misconduct. He has previously said he lived in fear of Theranos, keeping a knife under his pillow.