Big crowds attended a bizarre lookalike competition in San Francisco on Saturday, where contestants attempted to channel convicted fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and comedian filmmaker Nathan Fielder.
The unusual gathering took over Lafayette Park, drawing crowds eager to watch people impersonate the stars of the A24 film “You Can See Everything”.
More than 1,000 people RSVP’d to the competition on Partiful.
“We expected to have a couple of our friends show up, and if a few people thought it was cool, they would reach out. We did not expect anything like this. It’s amazing,” the co–host of the event Miranda Stern told KRON4.
Those hoping to take home the crown arrived wearing black turtlenecks, headphones and tightly pulled-back hairstyles, while others carried laptops, delivered painfully awkward remarks or attempted to replicate Holmes’ famously intense stare.
One contestant even tossed fake $100 bills into the crowd.
For many attendees, the event was an opportunity to celebrate a documentary they couldn’t stop talking about.
“It was funny. It was insane. It was like a rollercoaster, up and down. You never knew what was going to happen next,” Shane Boile told KRON4.
“Honestly, one of my top favorite movies I have seen in a while,” Emily Willlams told KRON4.
The competition was organized following the release of the A24 film directed by Fielder and Lance Oppenheim.
The film centers on Holmes, the disgraced founder of Theranos, whose promise to revolutionize blood testing turned her into one of Silicon Valley’s most notorious figures. Throughout Fielder, interviews Holmes, with his deadpan, absurdist style of humor.
Theranos claimed its technology could perform hundreds of medical tests using just a few drops of blood, but investigations eventually exposed serious problems with the company’s technology and business practices.
The company dissolved in 2018, and Holmes was sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison in 2022 after being convicted of defrauding investors.
For the contest, simply dressing the part wasn’t enough to impress the judges.
Participants had to demonstrate their impersonation skills through a series of increasingly ridiculous challenges, including a staring competition and a dance-off.
Those portraying Holmes were also tasked with delivering a business pitch, while Fielder lookalikes had to present their own marketing strategies, putting their abilities to imitate the pair’s distinctive personalities to the test.
Some attendees said they were drawn to the park by their appreciation for Fielder’s earlier television projects and the growing popularity of celebrity lookalike contests on social media.
“I love Nathan for You. I have seen the show. I have seen The Rehearsal; it’s so funny. I have seen so many of the lookalike competitions on TikTok and social media in general, and I was like, ‘why not?’” Jade Adu, who had yet to watch the documentary, told KRON4.
After the contestants had finished their performances, Sierra Stingl and Alex Kesin emerged victorious, earning the title of “most A24-approved” along with a crown, headphones and bragging rights.
For the organizers, however, the event was about more than finding convincing celebrity doubles.
“Historically, SF has been a place for weird people, creative energy, and a lot of really cool ideas. I feel like we are losing a little bit of that spark, so our whole mission is to bring that fun and audacity back to the city. I think we need more audacity,” said co-host Tanvi Kaur.
The organizers, who go by @threegirlsinsf on social media, said they hope to keep bringing San Franciscans together through similarly unconventional community events.
