Overview
- The documentary expanded from 855 to 2,655 U.S. theaters and posted a rare sophomore weekend jump, earning $19.5 million in its second frame and reaching roughly $45 million domestically by Oct. 25.
- Directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim filmed an unusually embedded shoot in Elizabeth Holmes’s home starting shortly before she began an 11‑year federal sentence, producing a nearly three‑hour film about Holmes and her partner, Billy Evans.
- Co‑director Lance Oppenheim has said Nathan Fielder negotiated a pre‑production contractual “kill switch” with A24 that let the filmmakers abandon the project if no distinct angle emerged, a provision credited with enabling creative risk‑taking.
- The film has prompted fresh reporting on production choices, including a disclosed full‑frontal shower shot of Evans that directors say he volunteered for, which has sharpened debate over on‑camera consent and subject control.
- Critics have given the film near‑universal praise and strong aggregator scores, fueling awards season buzz and broader questions about how the film’s methods could influence documentary practice and ethical standards.