The documentary landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, led by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s film “You Can See Everything.” The project is not the first nonfictional chronicle examining Elizabeth Holmes, but it stands as the most revealing. Because Holmes’ subjects are frequently obscured by barriers of their own design, Fielder utilizes unconventional tactics to cut through the distortion left in the wake of her fraud conviction over the Theranos blood-testing device.
In just under three weeks, “You Can See Everything” has challenged an era defined by rushed streaming docuseries and true-crime content. The film is currently on track to become the most successful theatrically released documentary in history, closing in on high-grossing predecessors such as “March of the Penguins,” “Earth,” and films centered on Michael Jackson and Michael Moore ahead of its international release. Its arrival has ignited intense discussions regarding whether it could secure the first-ever Best Picture Oscar nomination for a documentary.
This theatrical success arrives amid a broader cultural reckoning with the genre. Streaming platforms have flooded the market with sensationalized true-crime and scandal projects, turning viewer tastes toward ephemeral stories while algorithmic preferences often sideline complex human narratives. Yet 2026 has proven to be an exceptional year for adventurous nonfiction filmmaking, with multiple works expanding the boundaries of what documentaries can achieve.
Among this year’s notable contemporaries is William Greaves’ newly expanding archival film “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” which captures an intimate gathering of Black luminaries during the Harlem Renaissance originally filmed in 1972. Another prominent release is “NAZA,” a harrowing feature examining Israeli surveillance and military actions. Meanwhile, humor-infused explorations of human behavior appear in John Wilson’s “The History of Concrete” and “Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story.” Ross McElwee’s “Remake,” an exploration of fatherhood and filmmaking, further exemplifies the year’s diverse stylistic offerings.
Filmmakers and critics argue that these works underscore a fundamental distinction between recorded facts and subjective truths. Rather than functioning merely as an arm of investigative journalism or a repository for Wikipedia-style reporting, contemporary documentaries are increasingly embracing formal experimentation to explore the nuances of human reality.
