In the United States and Canada, the meta-documentary “You Can See Everything,” which explores the life of Elizabeth Holmes and is directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, has emerged as both a critical darling and a significant box-office phenomenon. However, the film’s unconventional and gradual international release schedule has left overseas audiences struggling to engage with the cultural conversation surrounding the project. And it can often take months for a movie to land in international cinemas, smaller films rarely open simultaneously across multiple markets at once. According to the demand for the film, both in the US and abroad, has come as something of a surprise, even to A24, the film studio behind it, given neither Fielder nor Holmes seemed like sure box-office bets, in addition to it being a nearly three-hour film about a fairly oversaturated topic. “I don’t think anyone could have predicted it,”, A source close to the studio, who asked for anonymity to speak freely about internal. Discussions. “You never know how the world is going to react, which is what makes this so exciting.”. According to “Reminder that no one in the world even knew this film existed six weeks ago,”, The studio source. “It was launched as a true surprise and delight and first of its kind. Internet users have joked about staging cinema sit-ins or getting violent. “You Can See Everything unless you’re from Australia or the UK or France or Mexico or Ireland or New Zealand or the Philippines or India or,” rea. Given many cinephiles will be keen to see the first documentary that seems poised to earn a best picture nomination at the Oscars, the enormously positive reception the film has received in the US among both critics and audiences will make it easier to sell overseas.
Ilia Krasilshchik, a 39-year-old resident of Berlin, found himself unable to escape the constant influx of memes and online discourse related to the film. Desperate to avoid spoilers and participate in the discussion, he and his wife traveled from Germany—where the movie is currently unavailable—to Poland. The couple drove two hours to the city of Szczecin to view the film with Polish subtitles. After the screening, they immediately drove the 93 miles back home, using the journey to discuss the movie’s complex plot points. Krasilshchik described the experience as a necessary step to see the film, noting that it felt impossible to access the project in Western Europe at the time. According to driving two hours to the Polish city of Szczecin, the pair watched the movie with Polish subtitles, having gotten the idea for the trip from a friend who had made the voyage. (Others online have, They’ve done or are. They turned around and drove the 93 miles back, dissecting its many twists and turns on their journey home. “I love that we did it,” Krasilshchik said. “I spent two hours in the car coming back and, when the movie ended. How great that we went to Poland to do this!’”. But he felt they had little choice. “It’s impossible to watch this movie in Western Europe right now,” Krasilshchik said. “It’s just impossible.”, it was the first time Krasilshchik has ever traveled to another country just to watch a movie. But O’Brien isn’t just scared that some of the movie’s surprises will be revealed to him before he gets the chance to see it.
The wait for the documentary is proving to be a challenge for fans globally. While the film has secured an official release in Turkey and limited previews in locations like Poland, other territories face a long delay. Viewers in the United Kingdom must wait until November 20, while audiences in France are scheduled for a December 30 release. In Australia, where the film is expected to arrive on November 12, Palace Cinemas reported that pre-sale figures are the strongest the chain has seen since Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour documentary. 12. “When you know you have a month’s delay, and you have to start setting up systems to not have this thing kind of destroyed — that’s a semi-common feature of being a film lover in Australia.”.
Jonathan O’Brien, a 30-year-old in Melbourne, represents the frustration felt by many international cinephiles. He has taken proactive measures to mute keywords on social media to protect himself from plot revelations. Beyond the risk of spoilers, O’Brien expressed a sense of exclusion, noting the difficulty of being unable to participate in the real-time discourse that defines such a viral release. He characterized the feeling as a form of “FOMO,” comparing the experience to arriving late to an event after all the notable guests have already departed. As this process continues, O’Brien and his friends in Melbourne have resorted to muting key words on social media or trying to close their eyes as they scroll and encounter anything that looks like a potential spoiler.
The unexpected demand for the film caught even its studio, A24, by surprise. Industry insiders suggest that the lack of certainty regarding the project’s marketability meant that a massive, simultaneous global rollout was not initially planned. The documentary was developed in extreme secrecy, with fewer than 10 people at the 300-person studio aware of its existence prior to its surprise debut at the Telluride Film Festival in early September. This clandestine production process meant that logistics—such as securing international distributors, navigating rating agencies, and finalizing marketing strategies—only began after the film had already captured public attention. With fewer than 10 people at the 300-person A24 aware of its existence for years, according to the Wall Street Journal, which ensured immediate buzz after its surprise unveiling at the, the film was made in near-secret. But that also meant the rest of A24 was operating at something of a handicap when it came to planning releases in the territories where the studio typically distributes its own pictures (Australia and the UK) or negotiating deals with distributors for other markets, which can involve conversations with exhibitors, negotiating with various countries’ ratings agencies and devising marketing plans.
A representative for Sony stated that release dates remain in flux, confirming that the company is working to bring the film to international territories as quickly as possible following its strong domestic performance. However, this has not stopped the surge of online criticism from frustrated viewers. Social media platforms, including X and Reddit, have become hubs for complaints, with users mocking the slow distribution schedule and sharing edited posters that rename the film “You Can’t See Anything.” On Reddit, posts criticizing the international release schedule have received thousands of “upvotes.
The staggered release strategy echoes the approach taken in the United States, where the film initially debuted in 855 theaters before expanding to 2,600 locations. For those in countries like Spain, where the film is not slated for release until December 24, the prospect of following the example of viewers like Krasilshchik and embarking on a cross-border road trip remains a distinct possibility for those eager to avoid the wait. For example, you won’t be able to screen it until Nov, if you live in the UK. According to those in, Where it wasn’t showing begged for others online not to ruin the movie ahead of it finally expanding into more than 2,600 theaters on its second weekend. 1 spot at the box office, it is expanding to roughly an additional 600 theaters on Halloween weekend.
