In a world where scammers and grifters seem ubiquitous, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see streaming services capitalize on such a trend. Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar,” its latest foray into complex morality, seems to be set in this place, dramatizing the very real story of Belle Gibson—the Australian influencer who gained significant fame by making false claims of ridding herself of cancer through diets and wellness routines. Despite the intriguing premise and a strong central performance by Kaitlyn Dever, “Apple Cider Vinegar” is not much more than a series of missed storytelling opportunities, held together by a convoluted structure.
The Belle Gibson Story
“Apple Cider Vinegar” is a dramatized version of Belle Gibson’s swift rise to fame as a social media influencer who lied about having such conditions as heart issues, seizures, and Stage 4 brain cancer to push a lifestyle brand. Gibson’s brand forbade its followers to treat themselves with conventional medicine and instead fed them on limited meals and juices for detoxification. The manufactured storyline wants to portray the underbelly of wellness culture, but the efforts come off badly on the series.
Kaitlyn Dever stands out best as a part of “Unbelievable” and “Dopesick” and brings Gibson a convincing Australian accent to the role with an almost intense portrayal that swings between absurdity and manipulation. One of the few standouts of the series, Dever’s performance at least gives a glimpse into the charismatic facade Gibson used to manipulate her audience.
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In search of its identity: A disjointed narrative
One of the biggest problems with “Apple Cider Vinegar” is that it’s not a linear story. Developed by Samantha Strauss, the show constantly cuts between timelines, and viewers can hardly tell what happened when. The series sometimes looks backward from Gibson’s fall; at other times, it traces her rise to power or captures her at the peak of her influence. This style of storytelling scatters the series’ impact and undermines the suspense in Gibson’s ultimate exposure.
The series also deals with various framing devices, none of which are ever realized. One minute, Gibson is confessing to a crisis PR flak about how she managed to get out of the scrape. Another, a pair of reporters, are chasing her down for the expose interview, seeking to interview former members of Gibson’s life, including her ex-manager Chanelle, played by Aisha Dee. By never locking in on one narrative point of view, “Apple Cider Vinegar” never quite comes together.
Explore the Cost of Deception
To demonstrate the impact of Gibson’s lies, the series creates a number of fictional and composite characters, including Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Harvey), a cancer patient who drops mainstream treatments to seek out Gibson’s unproven remedies. Lucy’s husband, Justin (Mark Coles Smith), is a journalist trying to discredit Gibson in a last-ditch effort to save his wife. Their story gives a human face to the devastating impact of Gibson’s manipulations and the real-world harm caused by online deception.
However, in “Apple Cider Vinegar,” the anti-wellness critique is hampered by Gibson’s sensationalism. The program introduces Milla Blake (played by Alycia Debnam-Carey), a genuine cancer blogger whom Gibson uses unknowingly as a source of inspiration. Unlike Gibson, Milla actually believes alternative treatments such as coffee enemas and juice cleansing. Through the character of Milla, it becomes clear the line between wellness advocacy and the pseudoscientific exploitation used by Gibson was blurry. Unluckily, Milla and the rest of the secondary characters take up too much of the spotlight and dilute the central storyline of the series.
Comparison to Other Scammer Dramas
In fact, “Apple Cider Vinegar” drops during a season that’s already packed to the gills with fraud tales. Shows like “The Dropout”—the biographical miniseries on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos—as well as Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” take in scams on that streamer alone, meaning that it can feel relatively formulaic, more a cobbled mess of what one knows coming into these sorts of things compared to series such as the two named above.
The show does a good job of trying to probe the psychology of deception but never quite commits to exploring Gibson’s motivations or the broader societal forces enabling such cons. The result is a show that, while entertaining in parts, lacks the thematic depth and narrative cohesion that made its predecessors so compelling.
Performance Highlights and Weaknesses
Despite its storytelling weaknesses, the film “Apple Cider Vinegar” features great performances. Kaitlyn Dever gives Gibson a both chilling and enthralling take on the charismatic influencer’s manipulative traits. Her comedic timing makes absurdity of the more outlandish claims she makes, like leaving critical medical records at her estranged mother’s house.
Aisha Dee is a bright spot as Chanelle, who offers a grounded perspective on Gibson’s meteoric rise and fall. Mark Coles Smith and Tilda Cobham-Harvey bring emotional depth to their roles as a couple grappling with the consequences of Gibson’s deception. However, these performances are often undermined by the series’ disorganized structure and underdeveloped subplots.
“Apple Cider Vinegar” has all the ingredients for a compelling drama: an intriguing premise, a talented cast, and timely themes. However, its inability to maintain a cohesive narrative and its tendency to veer into melodrama prevent it from leaving a lasting impact. The series serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of wellness culture and the power of social media, but its message is often lost in the noise.
“Apple Cider Vinegar” could get lost in the sea of scammer dramas. It gives some interesting perspective on why alternative medicine is alluring and what dangers lurk in the net, but in the end, it does not make the best of its prospects.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, “Apple Cider Vinegar” is a good intention gone wrong in the scammer drama genre. While it illuminates some of the very disturbing realities of medical misinformation and the exploitation of vulnerable citizens, it does so in an often unfocused and uneven way. A good alternative for those seeking a deep dive into the psyche of a con artist can be found in other programs, such as “The Dropout” or “Inventing Anna.”. Yet “Apple Cider Vinegar” serves as a reminder of the ceaseless dangers in the digital age of misinformation and the very steep price of believing too-great-to-be-true promises.
