Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes Documentary Was Made Under a "Kill Switch"

Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim made their Elizabeth Holmes documentary with a clause that let them stop at any time. Variety reported that the arrangement, which the trade calls a "kill switch," allowed the directors to end the project if they did not find a story.

The clause was agreed with A24, the distributor behind the film, before the main shoot began. A24 agreed to pay for exploratory filming and to leave the pair alone while they looked for a story. Oppenheim described the negotiation in an interview with IndieWire. Fielder discussed the same provision with Wired magazine, including the version in which A24 would receive nothing if filming did not work out.

The reason for the caution is the subject itself. Holmes founded the blood-testing company Theranos, and her fall from one of Silicon Valley's best-known start-ups has already been told several ways. Before production began, the story had been covered in a podcast, a best-selling book, an Alex Gibney documentary and Hulu's scripted series The Dropout. Fielder told IndieWire he doubted he could break new ground on it.

The film's title, You Can See Everything, comes from A24's own synopsis, which describes Holmes inviting a skeptical film crew to document her every move. A24's official page credits Fielder and Oppenheim as its directors, and the studio's catalogue lists the film as Now Playing.

The release has moved through a busy few weeks. The film screened at the Telluride festival in September, and its theatrical release has begun. On 13 October, it received five nominations at the 2026 Critics Choice Documentary Awards. Those nominations are the film's first major awards recognition, and the awards season is still at an early stage.

One moment has drawn attention of its own. In the film, Holmes tells Fielder that The New York Times misquoted her, according to Variety's report published on 24 October.

For a general audience, the kill switch is a useful window into how some documentaries get made. Most projects start with a plan and a shooting schedule. This one started with a studio paying for a search, with the option to walk away built into the deal from the start.