‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ Review: More Appetizing Than Reality

Just when we thought the world couldn’t get any scarier, many of us learned about Belle Gibson through Netflix’s 2025 series, Apple Cider Vinegar.

Belle was an Australian influencer who was taken down due to proof of fraud and misleading customers. While the series is a “true-ish story based on a lie” according to the opening of each episode along with Netflix’s Tudum article about the show. 

Apple Cider Vinegar follows in the footsteps of other true crime reenactments of women who lie their way to the top, such as The Drop Out (Amanda Seyfried portrays Elizabeth Holmes) and Inventing Anna (Julia Garner portrays Anna Delvey). There is a commonality between these three con artists—their inflated senses of self and belief they deserve wealth, fame, and admiration are extra fascinating because of how many women feel the opposite way in a patriarchal society. 

But Apple Cider Vinegar had to differentiate itself. Visually, it’s a snack, full of bright colors, appetizing motifs, and natural imagery. If you’re too cold to go outside, the Netflix series emanates the sun’s Vitamin D through its jungle imagery, floral settings, and healthy food. The comfort, health, and positivity fed through a screen to us reflect how both Belle Gibson (Kaitlyn Dever) and her rival, Milla Blake (Alycia Debnam-Carey), garnered followings on social media. But in the end, both their stories and Apple Cider Vinegar have tragically dark undertones.

Thanks to the layered performances from Kaitlyn and Alycia, as well as the supporting performances, Apple Cider Vinegar is an unmissable examination of the dangers of the wellness industry, the obstacles many face using Western medicine, and the pervasiveness of social media. While the world saw the real Belle Gibson as a narcissistic liar after her disastrous 60 Minutes interview, Apple Cider Vinegar displays how trauma can manifest in a way that causes sociopathic and narcissistic traits without making Belle too sympathetic. Kaitlyn has an ability to make Belle a good actor while still showing her dark truth underneath, providing a more nuanced performance than what is often required.

Aside from its nostalgic pop soundtrack with notable songs like “Toxic” and “Suddenly I See” and visual candy, Apple Cider Vinegar’s greatest accomplishment is its intertwined storylines. While most dramatic reenactment series try to stay close to the truth, Apple Cider Vinegar took a note from its inspiration and stretched the truth to incorporate more fiction in the stories of Milla and Lucy (Tilda Cobham-Hervey). While Belle’s story is the intriguing scandal, Milla and Lucy’s stories are the heart. 

Milla is loosely based on influencer Jessica Ainscough, who was also diagnosed with an epithelioid sarcoma for which doctors recommend she amputate her arm. While there is no record of a relationship or rivalry between Jessica and Belle in reality, it’s said that Belle did at least know of her. In the show, however, Belle’s obsession with Milla ultimately leads Milla down her own dark path of deception. But while Belle is knowingly deceiving hundreds of thousands of people to rise to the top, Milla is in denial of the truth, wanting to help people but also desperately wanting to be right. 

Both fall victim to the wellness industry in a way while also perpetuating what makes it dangerous. It has a hold on young women specifically, from encouraging disordered eating, fostering unrealistic expectations of health remedies, and implying that appearances trump the actual experience. Apple Cider Vinegar is a warning to these young women, while also being an entertaining piece of art.

But art imitates life, and life is never perfect. Apple Cider Vinegar’s time-jumping structure feels confusing at first, making it hard to engage in the first couple of episodes. However, we eventually get our bearings and can appreciate how the characters’ pasts inform their fates. Furthermore, there are a few loose ends — Dr. Phil and Belle’s potentially abusive employer are left as unanswered questions. Particularly with Dr. Phil, who seems to know Belle from her former life, we’re left wondering what part they played in Belle’s rise and fall. 

The conclusion of the story, while mostly complete, leaves us wanting more about the fallout. Without spoiling anything, the final screen encourages us to “Google” the true story, but one of the main themes of Apple Cider Vinegar is the danger of misinformation. The internet is at the center of Apple Cider Vinegar, almost playing the true villain, but we’re watching the series to experience a shiny, well-acted, and emotional version of the story. Not to read about it. Luckily, the series succeeds in pulling us in, so much so that the only satisfying next step is to watch Netflix’s actual documentary about Belle Gibson: The Search for Instagram’s Worst Con Artist.

Here’s to hoping that despite being billed as a limited series, Apple Cider Vinegar will give us another season with the seemingly ridiculous and unlikely reality of what happened after its finale.