A24's Elizabeth Holmes doc is breaking records — but the Academy may not care. And the Golden Globes? They’re turning comedy into a battlefield.
The Oscar race just got a new front-runner — and it’s not the one anyone expected. Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything, A24’s documentary on Elizabeth Holmes, has stormed into the awards conversation with a Metacritic score of 99, a 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and an IMDb average of 9.4, enough to potentially dethrone The Shawshank Redemption as the highest-rated film ever.
But here’s the twist: the Academy’s documentary branch might not be ready to love it back. The film’s self-aware structure, Fielder is in the frame, questioning Holmes’ authenticity, performance, or both, clashes with the traditional fly-on-the-wall ideal. That could cost it a spot on the shortlist, despite its cultural momentum.
And if it gets snubbed? History suggests that could spark a backlash. Remember Ben Affleck’s omission for Argo? The wider Academy might respond by pushing it onto the best picture ballot.
It’s already beating DC’s Clayface at the box office and drawing crowds who remember the Theranos scandal like a fever dream. Still, popularity isn’t a golden ticket. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? made $22 million and lost. Hoop Dreams was ignored in 1994, prompting reforms. The branch still leans toward invisibility over spectacle.
So while You Can See Everything dominates buzz, its fate hinges on whether the Academy sees truth in the lens, or just another performer in the frame. Meanwhile, the Golden Globes are shaping up to be a comedy warzone. The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster, leads the drama pack after winning TIFF’s People’s Choice Award.
But studios are playing games: Focus Features is slipping Obsession into comedy, Neon is pushing Luca Guadagnino’s OpenAI thriller Artificial into the same category, and Amazon MGM is betting on Ryan Gosling in Project Hail Mary. Even Jordan Firstman’s debut Club Kid is being submitted in drama, a move that raises eyebrows given its title and tone.
Zendaya, meanwhile, is shifting gears: she’ll now campaign for lead actress in Dune: Part Three, stepping up from supporting role in the first two films. And no, Michael Jackson’s biopic won’t get a comedy nod, Lionsgate’s appeal was denied. As for animation? Laika’s Wildwood, a 132-minute stop-motion epic, is aiming for best picture drama, a bold move, since only three animated films have ever won the Globe’s top prize, and all were in comedy/musical.
This year, they’re not just asking for recognition. They’re demanding respect. The Oscars shortlist announcement drops December 15. The Globes follow in January.
The stage is set. The cameras are rolling. Who will win? No one knows yet.
But someone’s about to lose.
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