‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Review: A Healthy Reminder Not to Believe Everything You See Online

A self proclaimed “true-ish story based on a lie”: Netflix’s new “Apple Cider Vinegar” follows the rise and fall of Belle Gibson’s (Kaitlyn Dever) alternative medicine empire, which was built on a fake brain cancer diagnosis and a cascade of lies for years to come. The miniseries is an effective critique on the wellness con-artist, who encouraged a wide range of cancer patients from around the world to reject traditional medical treatment. It is also a refreshing look at modern medicine, social media, and the exploitation of the vulnerable.

While navigating a sensitive, real-life chain of events filled to the brim with betrayal, deception, and pain that spans more than a decade, “Apple Cider Vinegar” does strongly maintain that it is a primarily true story. Created by Australian screenwriter Samantha Strauss, the six-episode series is packed with depth and nuance in part due to the producers’ decision to focus on more than just Gibson’s life and misdeeds.

Filled with con, cult, and conspiracy, the first few episodes of “Apple Cider Vinegar” alternate between Gibson’s elaborate schemes in the building of her wellness empire, fellow influencer Milla Blake’s (Alycia Debnam-Carey) mission to find alternative methods of treating her recently diagnosed soft tissue sarcoma, and ex-friend Chanelle McAuliffe’s (Aisha Dee) attempts to bring down the whole web of lies. Despite these main storylines occurring in different times and places, the series is able to successfully transition between them with ease, guiding the audience through this complicated interpretation of the true story. However, as the show progresses, a number of side plotlines and diversions from the central plot seem to make things unnecessarily convoluted for the audience.

With this score of powerful female characters, “Apple Cider Vinegar” delivers a number of emotionally intense performances from its main cast. Heading that list is Dever, whose nuanced and effective portrayal of Gibson — along with her formidable fake Aussie accent — brings together the complicated formatting of the show. The multifaceted role of Gibson, a self-deluded and unreliable narrator, leaves the audience just as unsure of what to trust as the characters. With an explicit warning at the start of every episode, the show clearly outlines that the names of certain characters have been changed to protect their identities and Belle Gibson has in no way made a profit from the series.

While largely examining the nature of lying and the human complexities that would fuel someone to create such a scheme, “Apple Cider Vinegar” is also in large part a harsh commentary on social media and the propagation of lies that is possible as a result of certain platforms. Through the story of Lucy Guthrie (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) and her husband, the audience is able to see a glimpse of the real-life repercussions faced by many of Gibson’s 2.3 million followers who were persuaded to turn away from traditional cancer treatment.

By taking great care to depict the difficult decisions that one must make in response to severe diagnosis, stories like Lucy’s enable “Apple Cider Vinegar” to achieve a heartfelt depiction of the weight that cancer can have on families, in addition to how some make a profit on that vulnerability. These complicated stories of cancer and recovery help solidify the series’ motivation as condemning rather than glamorizing the actions of Gibson, while also justifying its purpose beyond just the telling of her story through its examination of Western healthcare.

Both Milla and Lucy’s genuine experiences with cancer and their search for the best treatment are accompanied with scenes depicting doctors working to treat symptoms rather than people and the lack of trust in medical systems that this causes for some. In the search for more sympathetic, comprehensive, and minimally intrusive care, these characters have almost nowhere left to look than experimental and often fraudulent treatment. This feeling of despair is beautifully portrayed through dedicated backstory and well-crafted dialogue throughout the show.

In the wake of hit series in the last five years such as “The Dropout” and “Inventing Anna,” Strauss’ miniseries follows the increasingly popular trend of bringing real-life female con artist stories to the screen. Yet, it is in the ability of “Apple Cider Vinegar” to effectively weave real world discussions into the plot — limiting its glorification of Belle Gibson— that its success lies.

—Staff Writer Sara R. Eyjolfsdottir can be reached at sara.eyjolfsdottir@thecrimson.com.