The Secret A24 Profit Deal

Midway through the documentary's production, a startling revelation surfaces: Billy Evans, Holmes's partner, secretly negotiated a share of the film's profits with A24 executives — without Holmes's knowledge. For a documentary subject to demand backend participation is, as the film notes, highly irregular and raises acute conflict-of-interest questions about the filmmakers' objectivity. Evans later admits on camera: he purposely did not want Holmes to be aware of it. Before the film's release, Evans relinquished the agreement. The episode becomes the documentary's ethical center of gravity: who is using whom, and can a film about manipulation avoid being manipulated?

Key facts

Evans negotiated backend profit participation with A24 without Holmes's knowledge
Subject profit participation is highly irregular in documentary filmmaking
Evans on camera: "I purposely didn't want her to be aware of it"
Agreement relinquished before the film's release
Holmes told filmmakers she would receive no money from the film