I’m surprisingly knowledgeable about Belle Gibson, a disgraced wellness influencer who is the subject of Netflix’s new true crime drama “Apple Cider Vinegar.”
My familiarity with her story comes from falling down a YouTube rabbit hole and consuming numerous videos that covered her rapid rise and subsequent fall. I was intrigued when Netflix announced plans to convert Gibson’s scandalous tale into a six-episode TV show. When Kaitlyn Dever was confirmed to play the Australian influencer, my initial interest turned to anticipation.
Having now watched “Apple Cider Vinegar” ahead of its Netflix release (on Thursday, Feb. 6), I find myself conflicted. The drama’s slick style feels appropriate for a series set in the world of social media influencers, and Dever is remarkable in the lead role (with a perfect Aussie accent). Yet, much like the social media platform at the heart of this story, there’s something messy and disposable about the Netflix original series.
Perhaps the Netflix show I can most closely compare it to is “Inventing Anna,” a 2022 true crime drama that I binged over a lazy weekend and promptly forgot all about (until a colleague pointed out the similarities). “Apple Cider Vinegar” is similarly absorbing in the moment, making it almost the perfect binge-watch, but it won’t linger long in the memory.
What is ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ about?
Set in the early days of social media, “Apple Cider Vinegar” explores the darker side of wellness influencing. The primary focus is on Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever), a rising star in this uncharted field. Belle is beloved by her army of followers for her inspirational story of curing her terminal brain cancer through clean eating and alternative remedies. There’s just one slight problem ... Belle doesn't have cancer and her story is all lies.
Meanwhile, intertwined with Belle’s story, are the journeys of three women. Milla (Alycia Debnam-Carey) is a rival in the social media space, having spurned the doctor’s recommendations and opted to treat her blood cancer with alternative methods, Chanelle (Aisha Dee) is a former friend of Belle’s now eager to bring about her downfall, and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) is a breast cancer patient that views Belle as a guiding light much to the frustration of her journalist partner (Mark Coles Smith).
‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ goes down smooth (but with an unpleasant aftertaste)
“Apple Cider Vinegar” wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Creator Samantha Strauss is clearly a fan of Adam McKay, specifically his 2015 movie “The Big Short," as this crime drama apes the filmmaker’s now trademark tone and style quite brazenly.
“Apple Cider Vinegar” follows the McKay formula to the letter. It even opens with a fourth-wall-breaking moment where Dever (as Belle Gibson) looks into the camera and assures viewers that the real-life subject matter has made no money from the show. The similarities are very evident.
Episodes are also brimming with glossy effects and fancy on-screen text to represent social media messaging. The show isn’t subtle about pretty much anything. At one point, Gibson receives a tidal wave of kind comments after revealing her (bogus) cancer diagnosis, and cartoon love hearts rise from the smartphone display and wash over a smiling Belle.
Fortunately, Kaitlyn Dever manages to bring some much-needed nuance to the lead role. Gibson falls quite neatly into the sympathetic villain archetype, at least initially. Her difficult childhood and a deeply fractured relationship with her mother are highlighted as potential root causes for her overwhelming need for validation, and her penchant for fibbing.
While there’s an element of understanding shown towards Belle, the show isn’t afraid to display her as the morally corrupt snake oil salesman she is revealed to be. Whatever the scene calls for Dever nails it. I was already hyped for her turn as Abby in the upcoming “The Last of Us” season 2, but I’m now even more confident in her acting abilities.
“Apple Cider Vinegar” is most effective when it’s holding a mirror up to the pitfalls of social media, and how platforms encourage people to misrepresent themselves. Lead characters Belle and Milla (Debnam-Carey is also strong, even if Dever outmuscles her fellow cast members) are extremely guilty of this, and both characters pay a heavy price.
In fact, you even might find yourself reflecting on how you interact with social media platforms like Instagram and also how you present yourself on them. At the very least, the show made me thankful, I've never personally started up my own account on the image-sharing website.
The show’s Achilles heel is its unfocused approach to storytelling. Hopping across multiple character perspectives and a multi-year timeline (we see separate scenes set during Belle’s rise, reign and fall within mere minutes of each other) actually following along can be a bit of a chore.
Even when the on-screen text makes it clear where in the timeline a scene is set, there’s often an uncomfortable sense of narrative whiplash as you never quite find your footing before quickly being whisked several years into the future or diving into the past. A linear approach to the narrative could have made "Apple Cider Vinegar" simpler and better.
But despite its many failings, “Apple Cider Vinegar” is a highly evocative watch. Belle’s smarmy personality is regularly hard to stomach, and her “little white lies” are so corrosive, that you'll be balling up your fists in pure fury. During these moments, “Apple Cider Vinegar” (very briefly) becomes essential viewing, it’s just a shame they’re bundled alongside indulgent sequences. Perhaps that’s a perfect reflection of social media itself.
Should you stream ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ on Netflix?
My biggest frustration with “Apple Cider Vinegar” is that, buried within it, there’s a more focused and higher-quality two-hour movie (or perhaps a four-episode mini-series). Stretched out over six episodes (each running more than an hour long), and padded with too many flashbacks and perspective shifts, “Apple Cider Vinegar” feels a bit bloated.
However, that’s not to say it’s a Netflix show to skip. If you have the time to tear through the show at a fast clip, some of its problems become less noticeable as you speed toward the conclusion. And when consumed quickly, the narrative momentum is enough to carry you through.
However, opt to watch this Netflix original over several days or weeks, and you might find your willingness to return for the next installment diminishing. But if you have time to spare, give “Apple Cider Vinegar” a chance, if only because of Kaitlyn Dever’s electrifying performance.
Netflix is kicking off the new month with quite a flourish, alongside “Apple Cider Vinegar” comes the streaming debut of thrillers “Cassandra” and “The Åre Murders”, so you’re utterly spoilt for choice if you’re craving something new to binge watch this weekend. For a full roundup, check out our guide to everything new on Netflix in February 2025.
Watch "Apple Cider Vinegar" on Netflix now
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