A masterful documentary about manipulation and deception. Filmmakers Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim follow the ups and downs of Elisabeth Holmes, who was convicted of fraud, over a period of three years.
“This is a film unlike any other I have ever seen. A masterful film that is not to be missed”, wrote an American film critic. The story begins in 2003, the year in which Elizabeth Holmes, then just 19 years old, founded Theranos, a company aiming to bring to market a medical device capable of carrying out blood tests very quickly, very accurately and very easily. Many investors poured millions into the company; at its peak, it was worth billions, but the miracle device didn’t work at all. In 2018, Theranos closed down, and allegations of fraud and deception soon followed. Ultimately, Holmes was sentenced to eleven years in prison.
In 2023, a month before Holmes’ prison sentence begins, filmmakers Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim are approached by Holmes and her partner Billy Evans, who ask if they would like to document their lives. It marks the start of a bewildering quest that will take three years. Holmes and Evans appear sincere and open. But are they really? Who is manipulating whom?