Filled to the brim with explosive drama, nonsensical lies, and a protagonist who will have you wanting to rip your hair out, Apple Cider Vinegar is a big, steaming cup of what the fuck … in a good way.
Created by Samantha Strauss, Netflix’s new series follows Australian wellness sensation Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever, Booksmart), through her rise to fame all the way to when the carelessly constructed lies she’s built start to fall down. It’s based on the real Belle Gibson; she created the healthy recipe app The Whole Pantry and discussed her journey with brain cancer – along with other health issues – except, all of it is one big lie. Belle never had cancer, and instead, out of desperation for attention, she makes it all up, making others with cancer believe what she’s selling can really help them. Not only that, she pretends to collect money for charities, and they never see a cent.
The show breaks the fourth wall at the start of each episode, characters taking turns stating, “This is a true story, based on a lie.” Some of the characters are fictional, but based around or inspired by real people. The series also mentions that the real Belle Gibson was not compensated for this story. It’s very in line with what the series portrays; even though they show hardships Belle went through in her youth, it doesn’t excuse her actions. She is seen as unlikeable, miserable, and rude throughout the series. Belle lies about her life including her age, pushes her son away, blames things on everyone else, and uses a real boy with brain cancer as a prop for her own gain.
Apple Cider Vinegar lands on the shelf wedged between The Dropout and Inventing Anna, not alone as the show follows another person who scammed the world. But this particular series has more of a broad perspective. It follows a few different characters, namely wellness influencer Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam Carey, The 100) – who actually has cancer, and a woman with breast cancer who’s a fan of Belle Gibson, Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Hotel Mumbai).
Belle gets obsessed with Milla after the 22-year-old (at the start of the timeline) is diagnosed with a rare sarcoma in her arm. She’s young and doesn’t want to cut her arm off, though the doctors say it’s the best course of action. As she goes on a journey to heal naturally, using methods like the wellness center the Hirsch Institute, she gains popularity – along with a book deal. Belle is jealous of her from the start, and has a parasocial relationship with Milla, where she convinces herself that she knows Milla, despite them never actually having a true conversation up to this point. Her obsession continues as she begins to build on her cancer lie, trying to match the career highs Milla has had, though Belle’s are fake.
There is definitely something to be said about the “miracle, natural cures” being pushed instead of help from doctors or hospitals. Apple Cider Vinegar shows this as a dangerous reality, as many people will try to take advantage of those with cancer – like how Belle convinces Lucy and many others that what she’s saying is correct and worth their money. We consistently see Lucy believe Belle’s words, when we know they’re nothing but lies. While Milla continues to lie to herself by claiming her coffee enemas and juice cleanses really are working, her cancer worsens, and she doesn’t tell her family. This leads her family – especially her mother – to experience extreme adverse effects, and it’s up to Milla to come to terms with this. Though this is certainly dangerous, Milla is easier to understand than Belle, who doesn’t have cancer and isn’t in this situation to begin with.
There’s also a host of side characters, including Milla’s bestie Chanelle (Aisha Dee, The Bold Type) who ends up working for Belle, and Lucy’s husband Justin (Mark Coles Smith, Mystery Road: Origin), who’s a journalist on a mission to expose Belle’s lies and help the woman he loves. It’s great to see this story from multiple different perspectives and give context to how Belle’s actions impact real people. It would’ve also been interesting to perhaps see more of the doctors’ standpoints, though there are tiny dashes here and there that feature medical professionals and their thoughts on Belle.
We also can’t forget about Clive, Belle’s partner of many years who sticks by her through this mess, even though he knows the truth about her cancer. Throughout the series, the main question when it comes to Clive is why? He of course ends up being complicit in her lies, though it’s obvious he knows she’s a bad person and a liar, who is negatively impacting her own son. Still, Clive stays by her side – most likely to protect her son, whom he also loves, but his motivations remain fuzzy throughout the show.
We do end up witnessing Belle’s fall from grace, but at the same time, it’s devastating to know about how many people she impacted in a disastrous way. Her lies and delusion run deep, and there are many stories weaved into the plot that will break your heart.
The series also jumps around a lot between years, so it might be hard to follow the timeline if you’re multitasking or scrolling on your phone. But after the first one or two episodes, you begin to piece it together and realize just how this story is panning out. The pace keeps amping up as we get further and further, and the multiple POVs are helpful in moving along key plot elements.
Overall, Apple Cider Vinegar is an enjoyable, six-episode watch that will have you on the edge of your seat – and screaming at the screen. It shows Belle’s destructive spiral and how she loops the others into her growing mess. This series addresses a handful of wellness topics and debates, and it shows the harmful effects of scammers and con artists who take advantage of those with serious medical issues for their own profit. Belle is one grim example, but she certainly isn’t the last.
