Documentary 'You Can See Everything' Generates Oscar Buzz Amid Historic Category Debate
The three-hour Elizabeth Holmes documentary has become a box-office hit and is being discussed as a potential Best Picture nominee, despite the Academy’s historical reluctance to nominate documentaries in that category.
The documentary "You Can See Everything," directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, has quickly risen to become one of the highest-grossing nonfiction films of all time, drawing large audiences in major U.S. cities and ranking second at the box office only to a major studio superhero release. While the film’s popularity has sparked speculation about an Oscar nomination, it faces an Academy that has never nominated a documentary for Best Picture or Best Director.
Historically, documentaries have been limited to their own Oscar category, and even acclaimed nonfiction filmmakers such as Frederick Wiseman and D.A. Pennebaker received few nominations. Since the creation of a dedicated documentary branch in 2001, the nominee pool has broadened, but the broader Academy still tends to overlook nonfiction works for top awards. The Academy’s recent diversification, including a growing proportion of international voters, adds another variable to the film’s prospects, as its subject—Elizabeth Holmes—may be less familiar outside the United States.
Supporters note that the film’s strong audience response, including sold-out screenings and vocal reactions, could translate into broader Academy support. A potential Best Supporting Actress nomination for a performer highlighted by A24 has also been mentioned as a possible breakthrough. However, some Academy members have expressed doubt about classifying the work as a documentary, which could affect its chances in both the Best Documentary and Best Picture categories.
"It plays incredibly well with an audience, even a small one," one viewer observed after attending multiple screenings.
If the documentary fails to secure a place among the Best Documentary nominees, some analysts suggest that could paradoxically improve its odds for a Best Picture nomination, as the entire Academy votes in that category. While the odds remain low, the film’s unprecedented commercial success and cultural conversation have made it a notable contender in an otherwise conservative awards landscape.