【Watch The Silencing Online】

"She didn't blink."

It's a peculiar observation,Watch The Silencing Online but when ex-Theranos receptionist Cheryl Gafner makes it, it's hard to shake -- Elizabeth Holmes, the fraudster behind the now defunct blood testing company Theranos, doesn't blink.

Or at least when she does blink, it is done with purpose, a cool and calculating gesture that accompanies a specific word or phrase. To Holmes, blinks are seemingly for conveying sincerity and establishing trust, not an involuntary response to, y'know, having eyeballs.

It's an unsettling behavior to witness, particularly when put in the context of Holmes' dangerous multi-million dollar fraud. But gaining awareness of creepy details like this one is an essential part of The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valleyviewing experience.

SEE ALSO: Blood feud: Feds hit Theranos founder with criminal charges

Directed by Alex Gibney (Going Clear), HBO's new documentary follows Holmes, the unblinking, tenacious entrepreneur, all the way from her humble, Thomas Edison-obsessed beginnings to her damning 2018 indictment last June.

Holmes is responsible for one of the most elaborate and high-risk schemes ever to hit Silicon Valley. But The Inventor does more than just point out her misdeeds to make its point.

Scene by scene, the documentary spotlights Holmes' unnerving behaviors, shaky voice, and mesmerizing, beautiful eyes to build up the scare factor associated with her power and intelligence.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

'The Inventor' forces you to endure Holmes lying directly to your face.

Re-appropriated Theranos PR shots taken of Holmes when the company was thriving appear unceasingly throughout the movie's two-hour runtime. More than once, these images are layered to create a hall of mirrors effect that presents Holmes as an omnipresent terror.

Using a dozen past interviews with Holmes -- each of which seems to position her closer to the lens than the last -- The Inventorasks you to sit with the seemingly, well-meaning entrepreneur, nose to nose. Then, as you become more aware of the things she has done, it forces you to endure Holmes lying directly to your face, her unsteady voice seemingly always on the verge of a crack.

In its original form, these images and clips are meant to be hopeful, personable, corporate-approved glimpses at the woman behind revolutionary health care technology.

In The Inventor, they are menacing reminders of the threat Holmes posed to each one of her unknowing consumers.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

That's not to say The Inventor's portrait of Holmes is without nuance.

Throughout the film, interview subjects close to Holmes, as well as the narrator, offer up a variety of explanations for her behavior, ranging from an overly optimistic desire to do good to a self-imposed delusional state that may have effectively rendered her unable to tell the truth. While these motivations do add depth to Holmes' too-close-for-comfort presence, they are hardly enough to make her human.

The Inventor's creative and engaging portrait of ex-CEO Elizabeth Holmes doesn't tell the heart-wrenching story of an eager, do-gooder lost in the possibilities of her own grandeur. Instead, its creators have presented a modern, well-informed, and factually accurate monster movie -- it's effective, it's unnerving, and above all else, it's pretty scary.

The Inventordebuts on HBO Monday, March 18, at 9 p.m. ET.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Elon Musk unveils Tesla's Model Y

---

Topics Documentaries HBO

• Games
• Social Good
• Entertainment
• Deals
• Life
• Digital Culture
• Science
• Shopping

• Q&A with tendercare founder and CEO Shauna Sweeney
• I took moon pics with 3 phones. This one had the best shot.
• The Surprising History (and Future) of Fingerprints
• Tips for helping your son navigate the manosphere
• Best robot vacuum deal: Get the Roborock Q5 Max for 53% off at Amazon
• Pornhub accused of abusing user data by #StopDataPorn
• Are We All Joyceans Here, Then?
• Gift idea for teens: Save 31% on the Canon Ivy 2 Mini Photo Printer at Amazon
• Sony launches new flagship XM6 headphones: Order them now
• Redux: A Secret Mouth by The Paris Review

• Denmark vs. France 2025 livestream: Watch U21 Euro 2025 for free
• Senate upholds ban on State AI laws in Trump's budget bill
• Samsung 49
• Today's NYT mini crossword answers for June 21, 2025
• Which iPad Model Should You Get?
• Best gaming deal: Get the Lenovo Legion Go for $200 off at Amazon
• Here's the tech content creators are using at VidCon 2025
• MotoGP 2025 livestream: Watch Grand Prix of Italy for free
• Today's Hurdle hints and answers for June 21, 2025
• USA vs. Haiti 2025 livestream: Watch Concacaf Gold Cup for free

• Astronomers saw one galaxy impale another. The damage was an eye
• Meeting Eve Babitz by Lili Anolik
• MLB will debut a metaverse stadium for the celebrity All
• Meta reveals plans for 2024 global elections
• Best robot vacuum deal: Save $140 on roborock Q7 Max Robot Vacuum
• Best Samsung deal: Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 on sale for $229.99, plus a free Galaxy SmartTag2
• Best Dyson Airwrap deal: $100 off at Amazon
• What are the idgaf wars?
• 5 Ways to Access a Locked Windows Account
• The Strange History of the “King

• The cicadas aren't invading the U.S.
• How Jean Toomer Rejected the Black
• How Jean Toomer Rejected the Black
• Was Holly Golightly Bisexual? by Rebecca Renner
• SpaceX's Starlink will provide free satellite internet to families in Texas school district
• Tips for helping your son navigate the manosphere
• Feminize Your Canon: Eleanor Dark by Emma Garman
• Jo Hopper, Woman in the Sun
• NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for May 19: Tips to solve Connections #238
• Daddy Issues: Renoir Père and Fils by Cody Delistraty