Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim have released an A24 documentary focusing on the life of Elizabeth Holmes. The film tracks the period immediately preceding her incarceration and her subsequent life after prison.
The quest to surpass The Shawshank Redemption on IMDb
The A24 documentary directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim is currently achieving unprecedented statistical success across major film aggregate sites. According to the source, if the current IMDb score remains stable, the film is poised to overtake The Shawshank Redemption as the highest-rated movie in the platform's history. this would mark the first time a documentary has ever penetrated the top three spots on the IMDb rankings.
Critical reception has been nearly universal in its praise, with the film securing a 99 Metacritic score and a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Furthermore, the project has maintained a 4.7 score on Letterboxd, suggesting that the film has resonated deeply with both professional critics and the enthusiast cinema community.
Capturing the 34 days before Elizabeth Holmes entered prison
The narrative structure of the film is notably distinct from traditional corporate fraud exposes.. The documentary focuses specifically on the 34 days leading up to the moment Elizabeth Holmes reported to prison, while also providing a rare look at her life following her release. As the report says, this dual-timeline approach is a feat that most nonfiction cinema rarely achieves within a full theatrical or streaming run.
By narrowing the lens to this specific window of time, Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim avoid the repetitive beats of the Theranos trial, instead focusing on the psychological state of Elizabeth Holmes during her transition from a public figure to a federal prisoner. This focus on the immediate periphery of incarceration provides a more intimate portrait than the broad biographical surveys typical of the genre.
The BAFTA classification hurdle and Oscar eligibility
Despite its critical dominance, the film faces a complex path through the international awards circuit. While the A24 production is eligible for the Academy Awards in several high-profile categories—including Best Picture and Best Documentary Feature—its status with the BAFTA Awards is less certain. There are indications that the film may not be eligible for a BAFTA in the documentary category, as it might be classified as a drama or a comedy/musical.
This classification struggle highlights the experimental nature of the film's direction. The production has already been submitted for the Critics Choice Awards, where the report notes that the performances of Emma Seyfried and Nathan Fielder may be recognized. The inclusion of "performances" in a nonfiction project suggests a hybrid style that blends traditional documentary footage with scripted or staged elements.
A shift in the A24 approach to corporate fraud narratives
The success of this project reflects a broader trend where A24 is moving away from standard journalistic storytelling toward more stylized, auteur-driven nonfiction. By employing Nathan Fielder—a creator known for blurring the lines between reality and artifice—A24 is treating the Elizabeth Holmes story not just as a cautionary tale of fraud, but as a study in performance and persona.
This approach echoes the recent industry shift toward "prestige true crime," where the focus is less on the crime itself and more on the psychological architecture of the perpetrator. By framing the story through the lens of Fielder and Oppenheim, the film transforms a well-known news story into a cinematic event that challenges the boundaries of the documentary format.
Why BAFTA might view the film as a comedy or musical
One of the most puzzling aspects of the film's rollout is the potential for it to be categorized as a comedy or musical by BAFTA. the source does not explicitly detail the musical elements of the film, leaving it unclear whether the film contains actual musical numbers or if the "musical" label is a result of its rhythmic editing and tonal irony.
Additionally, the role of Emma Seyfried remains a point of curiosity. Because the source mentions her "performance" alongside Nathan Fielder's, it remains unverified whether Seyfried is portraying Elizabeth Holmes in re-enactments or appearing as herself in a meta-narrative capacity. the lack of a clear genre designation suggests that the film may be intentionally provocative in its structure, forcing awards bodies to redefine their categories to accommodate it.
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