1. "The Dropout"
If you loved the third act of the film, this limited series,
starring Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes is essential viewing in all of its
awkward glory. The show not only gives you a great overview of Holmes’ story
and Theranos, but Seyfried also won an Emmy for her portrayal of Holmes.
Streaming on Hulu
2. "Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou
The Wall Street Journal reporter Carreyrou essentially broke
the story of Theranos’ multi-billion-dollar fraud through a series of articles,
with the help of some whistleblowers. Here, he walks through how Holmes and
others mislead investors and the public over a machine that didn’t actually test a
single drop of blood.
3. "The Rehearsal"
Both season of Nathan Fielder’s docuseries, are great, but
Season Two is a particular standout, where he tackles the airline industry. In
the series, he helps people prepare for difficult situations by walking them
through elaborate rehearsals, but the basic concept soon spins out of control
into something much meta, bizarre and grand (sound familiar?).
Streaming on HBO Max
4. "Nathan For You"
Fielder’s unique mix of cringe comedy, manipulation and
documentary began to take shape in this Comedy Central series that leans
heavily into the humor. In it, Fielder sets out to “help” struggling businesses
with convoluted schemes and unnecessarily complicated plans with mixed results.
Streaming on HBO Max
5. "The Curse"
In this pitch-black comedy series, Fielder and Emma Stone
play house-flipping TV hosts and a couple who, in their pursuit to revitalize a
New Mexico town, end up being cursed by a local child. Or maybe there isn’t a
curse and they’re just terrible people? Either way, the show is toe-curlingly excellent.
Director Benny Safdie co-stars, co-created and co-wrote the show with Fielder.
Streaming on Fubo and Paramount+ Premium
6. "The Dropout"
An extremely thorough true-crime podcast, this two season
saga really digs into Holmes and her failed company, Theranos as well the federal
criminal
fraud trial, United States v. Elizabeth
A. Holmes, et al. ABC News journalist Rebecca Jarvis hosts and the series
served as the basis for the limited TV series of the same name starring Amanda
Seyfried.
7. "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley"
Before “You Can See Everything,” Oscar-winning director Alex
Gibney made his own documentary about Holmes and Theranos, with this one a more
straight-forward approach to the fraudulent business and young tech superstar.
It’s based on John Carreyrou’s book “Bad Blood.”
Streaming on HBO Max
8. "Close-Up"
Thought to be one of the greatest films of all-time, this
documentary is about a man who impersonated a film maker in Iran, going so far
as to convince a family they would be the stars of his film. This film is a
reenactment of the story with the actual people involved, which is as meta as
it gets.
Available to rent
9. "F for Fake"
Legendary director Orson Welles helms this docudrama about
professional art forger Elmyr de Hory, but the film also veers off to cover
the meaning of authenticity, hoax biographer Clifford
Irving, and even a bit about Welles himself.
Stream on HBO Max
10. "Synecdoche, New York"
Charlie Kaufman, known for his mind-bending screenplays like
“Being John Malkovich,” made his directorial debut with this psychological drama
that blurs reality. The Philip Seymour
Hoffman vehicle was divisive, with some critics noting it was indulgent while
others cited it as a masterpiece.
Available to rent
11. "Some Kind of Heaven"
Director Lance Oppenheim got his start with this documentary
about a retirement community in Florida, The Villages. In this ideal
looking-place, Oppenheim follows four residents whose time there is anything
but nirvana.
Streaming on Kanopy, Hoopla, and Tubi
12. "Ren Faire"
“Succession” comes to a renaissance faire in this Lance
Oppenheim-directed documentary series. The three-parter follows George, founder
of a Texas festival, prepares to step down and those around him face-off to
take his place.
Streaming on HBO Max
13. "Primetime"
Robert Pattinson plays a fictional version of NBC’s Chris
Hanson and his search to catch predators in this Oppenheim-directed film. Taking lots of creative licenses, the film shapes Hanson’s story into a stylized
horror movie.
In select theaters and available to rent