“You Can See Everything,” A24’s documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, opened to an estimated $15.0 million this weekend, finishing No. 2 behind Street Fighter’s $31 million. That is nearly double the $8 million to $10 million that pre-weekend projections suggested. Here is what the numbers mean, what is still unknown, and how to plan a trip to see a 174-minute R-rated film.
You Can See Everything Box Office: The Weekend Numbers
The film opened Friday, Oct. 16, in 855 theaters. According to Sunday estimates, it earned $15.0 million over three days, or $17,544 per screen. Sunday figures are estimates, and final actuals typically arrive Monday, so expect small revisions.
The build-up was strong. World of Reel reported Thursday previews of roughly $1.7 million to $1.8 million. The Numbers’ daily chart put Saturday at about $5.21 million, with a running total of $10.76 million after Saturday.
Here is the weekend in brief:
- Opening weekend (Sunday estimate): $15.0 million
- Theaters: 855
- Per-screen average: $17,544
- Thursday previews: about $1.7 million to $1.8 million
- Saturday: about $5.21 million
- Pre-weekend projection: $8 million to $10 million
Why a Documentary Opening Like This Matters
Documentaries rarely open wide, and non-music documentaries rarely open big. Before the weekend, TheWrap noted that an opening above about $7.1 million would top Melania’s $7.1 million debut in February as the biggest non-music documentary opening since COVID. At $15.0 million, “You Can See Everything” cleared that bar by a wide margin, based on the estimates.
The same TheWrap preview pointed to a longer-term milestone. Clearing roughly $22 million in total would beat “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” ($22.4 million in 2018) as the top-grossing non-music documentary. In practical terms, the film needs about $22.4 million to pass it. You Can See Everything has already banked most of that distance in one weekend, but whether it gets there depends on word of mouth and how long theaters keep it.
TheWrap also reported that the combined production and marketing cost is under $20 million. If accurate, that makes this a strong result for A24 even before the film leaves its first weekend. We do not have official figures from A24 on costs, so treat that number as a press report.
The Story Behind the Film
Why would audiences turn out for a nearly three-hour documentary? Part of the answer is the subject. The Theranos saga was one of the most closely followed corporate scandals of the last decade, and the names attached to this film add curiosity on top of that.
The documentary is about Elizabeth Holmes, the convicted founder of Theranos. TheWrap reports that she invited A24 to her home shortly before she began an 11-year prison sentence. The directors are Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. Pre-weekend reports had it at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 50 reviews and 99 on Metacritic. Those scores can shift as more critics weigh in, so check the current numbers before you rely on them.
We are deliberately not describing what happens in the film. The reporting available to us covers how it was made, how it was received and how it performed, not its contents. If you want to go in fresh, that is probably a good thing.
What Audiences Are Saying About You Can See Everything
Audience reaction to You Can See Everything looks as strong as the critics’. World of Reel reported a PostTrak audience score of 92% “definite recommend” after previews. That is a useful early signal because it comes from people who paid to see the film.
One caution: no CinemaScore has been reported yet. CinemaScore is a letter grade based on polling of opening-night audiences, and studios and analysts watch it as a predictor of how a film will hold in later weeks. Without it, the PostTrak figure and the per-screen average are the best indicators of word of mouth. Compare that with Other Mommy’s opening weekend, where a poor CinemaScore raised questions about its legs. Other Mommy fell 70% in its second weekend, a reminder of how fast a weak audience response can bite.
Reading the Daily Pattern: What You Can See Everything Did Day by Day
Using the reported figures, we can do some simple arithmetic. If the running total was $10.76 million after Saturday and Saturday itself was about $5.21 million, then Friday, including Thursday previews, came to roughly $5.55 million. With a $15.0 million Sunday estimate for the weekend, that implies Sunday landed around $4.24 million. These are our own calculations from the reported numbers, not figures published by a tracker, so treat them as approximate.
The shape is worth noting. A drop from Friday to Saturday is common when a film front-loads with enthusiasts and previews. Here, Saturday was only slightly below Friday’s total even though Friday included previews, which suggests the audience kept arriving as the weekend went on. Whether that pattern holds on weekdays is something Monday and Tuesday numbers will show.
It also helps to understand why the per-screen average matters. A per-screen average divides the weekend gross by the number of screens. At $17,544 across 855 theaters, “You Can See Everything” more than doubled Street Fighter’s $8,671 average across 3,575 screens, per Boxoffice Pro’s Sunday estimates. That does not mean it beat Street Fighter overall, since $31.0 million is far more than $15.0 million. It does mean each screen was busier, which is the number exhibitors care about when deciding which films keep their best showtimes.
How to Plan Your Viewing of You Can See Everything
If you are thinking about going, a few practical points help.
- Runtime: The film runs 174 minutes, nearly three hours, per World of Reel. Add 15 to 20 minutes for trailers and plan accordingly.
- Rating: It is rated R. Check the rating notes for specifics before bringing teens.
- Theaters: At 855 locations, it is not everywhere. Check showtimes for your area.
- Timing: Evening shows tend to sell out first for buzzy limited releases, so book seats ahead.
- Wider access: A24 reportedly plans to widen the release next Friday. If you do not have a theater nearby now, that may change soon, though A24 had not confirmed details in the reports we reviewed.
You can find the studio’s official page at a24films.com for trailers and theater listings.
What to Watch or Read Next
If the subject interests you, there is well-known background material. Journalist John Carreyrou’s book “Bad Blood” detailed the rise and collapse of Theranos, and HBO’s “The Dropout” dramatized the story. Both are widely available and predate this documentary, so they are not tied to it in any way.
If you are lining up a broader movie week, our Verity second weekend piece looks at how that thriller held after a lukewarm CinemaScore. For home viewing, check the new on Netflix list for a lighter option before or after a long theater outing.
You Can See Everything: Quick Answers
What is You Can See Everything? It is an A24 documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, directed by Lance Oppenheim and Nathan Fielder, that premiered at the Telluride Film Festival.
How much did You Can See Everything make this weekend? An estimated $15.0 million domestically, from 855 theaters, according to Sunday estimates.
How long is You Can See Everything? 174 minutes, and it is rated R, per World of Reel.
Is You Can See Everything on streaming? We have not seen any streaming date announced in the reports we reviewed, so check A24’s site for updates.
Is it a hit? By the early numbers, yes. It beat its own projection range, and the reported cost of under $20 million for production and marketing combined sets a low bar to clear. One weekend is not a full run, though.
What We Do Not Know Yet
A few things remain unclear as of Monday, Oct. 19:
- Final actual grosses, which replace Sunday’s estimates later today.
- The film’s CinemaScore, which has not been reported.
- How steeply it drops in its second weekend, which is the real test for any buzzy opener.
- How much the wider release next week adds, if it goes ahead as reported.
Strong opening weekends for specialty titles can be front-loaded by curious fans, so the second weekend will say more about staying power than the first.
The Takeaway
“You Can See Everything” turned a niche subject and a long runtime into a $15.0 million opening, ahead of its pre-weekend range, with unusually strong reviews and audience scores. If it sounds like your kind of movie, the easiest move is to see it in a theater this week, before the wider release and the second-weekend drop change the conversation. Check showtimes, block out three hours, and decide whether you want to know more or go in blind.
