Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary You Can See Everything is turning heads during the 2027 Oscars race, with its unusual approach to the Elizabeth Holmes story attracting attention beyond the documentary category. Following a strong North American box-office debut, the film is reportedly being positioned for consideration across several major Academy Awards categories, raising questions about how far a documentary could go in Hollywood’s biggest awards competition.
The reported campaign, led by distributor A24, has also put Amanda Seyfried’s involvement in the spotlight. With the film combining real-life access, reenactments and questions about the nature of truth, its awards prospects could challenge traditional expectations about what qualifies for recognition at the Oscars.
A24 Targets Major Oscar Categories for You Can See Everything
According to Variety’s October 20, 2026, report, A24 is pursuing an extensive awards campaign for You Can See Everything ahead of the 99th Academy Awards in 2027.
The reported campaign extends well beyond Documentary Feature, with the distributor seeking consideration in some of the Academy’s most prominent categories. These include Best Picture and Best Director for Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, alongside a range of technical awards.
The reported categories are:
- Best Picture
- Best Director — Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim
- Best Supporting Actress — Amanda Seyfried
- Film Editing
- Cinematography
- Costume Design
- Production Design
- Sound
- Original Score
- Makeup and Hairstyling
The breadth of the campaign makes the film an intriguing awards-season prospect. Rather than limiting its ambitions to recognition for documentary filmmaking, A24 is reportedly pursuing consideration for the film’s overall production, direction and performance elements.
However, a campaign is not the same as an official nomination. Distributors can promote eligible films for consideration, but Academy voters determine which titles and individuals ultimately appear on the nominations list.
The Academy’s official rules for the 99th Oscars establish eligibility requirements for films released during the 2026 calendar year, alongside specific requirements for individual categories. The film’s reported campaign does not confirm that it has secured nominations in any of them.
The Film Beyond the Awards Campaign
The Oscar conversation is only one part of the discussion surrounding Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary. For a closer look at the film itself, read our You Can See Everything Elizabeth Holmes documentary review.
Why a Best Picture Nomination Would Make Oscar History
One of the most significant possibilities surrounding You Can See Everything is its reported pursuit of a Best Picture nomination.
No documentary has previously received a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. If the film makes it onto the final list, it would establish a new milestone in the category’s history.
Documentaries have nevertheless received recognition outside the Academy’s dedicated Documentary Feature category. Steve James’ Hoop Dreams, released in 1994, followed two Chicago high-school basketball players pursuing opportunities in the sport and earned an Oscar nomination for Film Editing.
That achievement demonstrated that documentary filmmaking can receive recognition for technical work beyond its primary category. However, it did not break the Best Picture barrier.
The Academy’s category structure allows eligible films to be considered for awards beyond Documentary Feature, provided they meet the applicable rules. A film’s documentary classification does not automatically make consideration in Best Picture or other categories impossible.
For You Can See Everything, the challenge would be securing sufficient support from Academy voters while satisfying the requirements for each category. A24’s reported strategy places that possibility firmly in the awards conversation, but the final outcome remains uncertain.
Amanda Seyfried’s Documentary Performance Could Create Another Oscar First
The film’s reported awards ambitions also extend to acting, bringing Amanda Seyfried into a particularly unusual position.
Spoiler warning: This section reveals a major element of the documentary.
Seyfried previously portrayed Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s limited series The Dropout. Her performance earned her an Emmy Award in 2022, establishing a connection between the actress and one of the most widely discussed corporate fraud cases in recent years.
In You Can See Everything, Seyfried appears as herself and participates in reenactments in which she portrays Holmes. Her involvement links her earlier scripted performance with a documentary that examines the real person behind the public story.
According to Variety, Seyfried is eligible for Academy Awards consideration, and A24 is reportedly pursuing a Best Supporting Actress campaign for her work.
If she receives a nomination for her performance in the documentary, it would mark another first for the Academy. No documentary has previously received an Oscar nomination in an acting category.
Christopher Abbott, who portrays Holmes’ partner Billy Evans in reenactments, is also reportedly eligible for acting consideration. Fielder could potentially submit himself for consideration as a performer, although Variety reported that he would not pursue that option.
Eligibility, however, does not guarantee a nomination. The film and its performers must still proceed through the applicable awards process.
There is also a distinction between the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. According to Variety, Seyfried would be eligible for Academy consideration but would not qualify under the Golden Globes’ current rules. Each organisation applies its own eligibility requirements, so the reported Academy eligibility should not be interpreted as confirmation of a nomination elsewhere.
What Oscar Predictions Say About the Documentary
The campaign is developing alongside awards-season predictions from established entertainment publications.
According to a Forbes report published on October 20, Variety projected that You Can See Everything would receive a Best Picture nomination and also forecast recognition in Film Editing. At the time, Variety predicted The Odyssey as its Best Picture winner.
The Hollywood Reporter reportedly forecast nominations for the documentary in Best Picture, Best Director, Supporting Actress for Seyfried and Film Editing.
These predictions suggest that the film is being considered a potential contender across several categories. However, they remain forecasts rather than official Academy decisions.
Awards predictions can change as the season progresses and more eligible films compete for voters’ attention. Likewise, a campaign targeting multiple categories does not mean the film will receive nominations in every one of them.
$15 Million Opening Weekend Brings More Attention
The documentary’s awards-season momentum follows a strong theatrical debut in North America.
You Can See Everything earned an estimated $15 million during its opening weekend across 855 theatres, according to reporting published on October 18 and 19, 2026. A24 also reported that more than 2,000 screenings sold out over the weekend.
According to The Guardian, the opening was the strongest North American documentary debut in more than two decades. The report compared the result with Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, which opened to approximately $23.9 million in 2004.
The comparison requires some context. Fahrenheit 9/11 had a higher opening total, so the current film’s performance should be understood within the specific documentary-opening comparisons reported at the time, rather than as a record across all film releases. Rankings can also differ depending on whether concert films and music documentaries are included.
The reported figures represent opening-weekend estimates, not the film’s final lifetime box-office total.
Critical and audience responses have also been strong. The Forbes report cited a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 4.7-out-of-5 Letterboxd average at the time of publication. Other reporting around October 19 cited a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score, demonstrating that review aggregates can change over time.
The Guardian also reported a 99 Metacritic score and a 91% “definite recommend” result from PostTrak audience exit polls. These measurements come from different review and audience-feedback systems and should not be treated as interchangeable.
A strong opening and favourable reception can help maintain attention during awards season, but neither guarantees Oscar nominations.
How the Film Examines Elizabeth Holmes, Truth and Reenactments
At the centre of the awards discussion is the documentary’s unconventional approach to nonfiction storytelling.
You Can See Everything follows Holmes in the weeks leading up to the start of her federal prison sentence. Holmes, the founder and former chief executive of Theranos, was convicted of fraud-related offences after the company’s claims and business practices came under scrutiny.
Directed by Fielder and Oppenheim, the film was made in secret over approximately three years, according to The Guardian. Fielder spent more than a month with Holmes and her family, including her partner, Billy Evans, before she reported to prison.
The documentary incorporates reenactments, including scenes featuring Seyfried as Holmes. This approach raises questions about how real people and events are represented on screen, particularly when documentary footage is combined with constructed scenes.
Seyfried’s participation creates an unusual connection between a dramatic portrayal of Holmes and a nonfiction film centred on the real person. It also places performance at the heart of a project that explores the boundaries between observation, reconstruction and storytelling.
A Washington Post discussion published on October 19 examined the film’s treatment of truth, performance and the limits of what audiences can establish from documentary footage. The analysis also considered how Fielder’s presence and the reenactments complicate the distinction between observation and constructed scenes.
These elements help explain why the documentary has attracted attention beyond the Theranos case itself. They are relevant to discussions of directing, editing and performance, although any eventual awards recognition will depend on voters and category-specific rules.
Other Technology Documentaries Enter the Awards Conversation
You Can See Everything is not the only film examining a prominent technology figure to attract awards-season interest.
Alex Gibney’s Musk, a documentary about Elon Musk, has also received attention as a potential contender in the Documentary Feature category. According to The Guardian, the film expanded to 472 North American screens during the October 17–18 weekend and earned approximately $306,702.
The distributor, Bleecker Street, also reported difficulties advertising the film on major social-media platforms, including X and TikTok.
Another title mentioned in the Forbes report is Artificial, a forthcoming film about OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman’s brief removal from his leadership position in 2023. The report noted that some awards commentators had discussed it as a potential contender.
These projects differ in subject, format and eligibility, meaning their awards prospects should not be treated as equivalent. Their presence in the wider conversation nevertheless provides context for the interest in films examining influential figures and major developments in the technology industry.
When Will the 2027 Oscar Nominations Be Confirmed?
The 99th Academy Awards will recognise eligible films released during the 2026 calendar year. The Academy’s official rules establish the applicable eligibility requirements and submission deadlines.
As of October 20, 2026, A24’s reported campaign for You Can See Everything remains an awards-season development, not an announcement of official nominations. Its eventual position in Best Picture, Best Director, Supporting Actress or the technical categories is still uncertain.
Two potential milestones stand out. A Best Picture nomination would make the film the first documentary nominated in that category. A Supporting Actress nomination for Seyfried’s documentary performance would also establish a first for the Academy.
Both outcomes depend on the official nominations process, and neither is assured.
How Critics Are Responding
The documentary has also drawn attention for its unusual approach to truth, performance and access to Elizabeth Holmes. Explore our Nathan Fielder documentary critics reaction report for more on the response.
Conclusion
You Can See Everything is emerging as an unusual contender in the 2027 Oscars conversation, combining a strong North American opening, favourable critical and audience responses, and a reported A24 campaign across major categories.
Its potential significance goes beyond the Elizabeth Holmes story. A Best Picture nomination could break a longstanding Oscar barrier, while recognition for Amanda Seyfried could create another first for documentary filmmaking. For now, these remain possibilities rather than confirmed outcomes, making the film one to watch as the awards season develops.
Source and Research Disclaimer: This article has been prepared using the sources listed below and the information available in the supplied material as of October 20, 2026. Campaign details, eligibility reports, box-office estimates, review scores and awards predictions reflect the reporting attributed to those sources and may change. Reported campaigns and predictions should not be interpreted as official nominations or independently verified outcomes.
Sources
- Variety — You Can See Everything Sets Oscar Campaigns for Best Picture, Supporting Actress and More Categories
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — 99th Oscars Rules and Eligibility
- Academy Press Office — Awards Rules and Campaign Promotional Regulations Approved for the 99th Oscars
- The Guardian — Elizabeth Holmes Documentary You Can See Everything Debuts With Huge $15 Million Opening Weekend
- The Washington Post — We Saw Everything in the Elizabeth Holmes Documentary. Or Did We?
- Variety — You Can See Everything Box Office Report
- TheWrap — You Can See Everything Earns Largest Documentary Opening in 13 Years
Featured Image Credit: A24
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