Listen To Apple Cider Vinegar and Just Google What Happens In Wellness Guru Scam
In Netflix’s new limited series Apple Cider Vinegar, we follow the true-ish story of Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) who forms a global online wellness community that follows her every word as she works to holistically cure her brain cancer. Her story would be so inspiring… if it were true. The show is based on the book The Woman Who Fooled The World by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano who uncovered Gibson’s real life scam.
Apple Cider Vinegar starts out fizzy and colorful as we explore the early days of social media and how it could be a shiny new resource for these young women afflicted with terminal illnesses to connect and find community. There is the rival wellness influencer Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey) who Belle models herself after, manager Chanelle (Aisha Dee) who works with both influencers, and cancer patient Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) who has bought into Belle’s community.
Belle and Milla are both eager to prove they know more than the doctors when it comes to curing themselves through blog posts, likes, enemas, and juice cleanses. In Milla’s case though, she is truly dealing with an epithelioid sarcoma, while Belle is making up things to form her own empire. The duo have a weird parasocial relationship where Milla doesn’t initially know or even particularly like Belle, while Belle creates a false narrative that they are close.
As the episodes unfold, the timeline gets muddled as they flash between characters and framing devices. While it does add to Belle’s psychotic energy, it makes the show feel uneven and takes away from other character’s storylines. While Belle is desperate for validation and attention, it is unclear why she turns to wellness to channel that. It’s also unclear how people are so easily manipulated by her despite having no medical records, not paying people, and treating people poorly. Milla feels distant and unattainable until she realizes its way too late for her, while Lucy disappears for a good chunk of the series. The series ends on an abrupt note, as they tell you to just Google the story to find out what happened after Belle’s fall from wellness power. It’s unsatisfying and makes the series feel like a waste of time.
All in all, Apple Cider Vinegar starts on a strong note, but its talented cast can’t save a messy storyline with no real character development or ending. It doesn’t explore the story to the depth it deserves. Might as well take the show’s advice, press pause, and just Google the story.
Apple Cider Vinegar is streaming on Netflix.
