Apple Cider Vinegar (2025) Review – Wellness, Lies, and the Art of the Scam

If you thought The Dropout and Inventing Anna exposed the dark underbelly of grifts, Apple Cider Vinegar takes it to the next level. It ferments fact and fiction into a scathing, must-watch cautionary tale. Inspired by real events (and heavily hinting at the notorious Belle Gibson scandal), the series masterfully blends satire, psychological drama, and gut-punch social commentary.

The Bitter Aftertaste of Fake Healing

At the core of the show about wellness is Milla, a woman whose self-proclaimed miracle cure empire thrives on denial, deceit, and a complete disregard for science. She’s the kind of person who could sell kale smoothies as chemotherapy and get away with it. Her devotees? A mix of the desperate, the naive, and those who just love a good placebo.

Belle is played with unsettling precision by [Kaitlyn Dever], whose performance is really unnerving. She doesn’t just act the role; she embodies the kind of influencer who turns medical gaslighting into an art form. You hate her, yet you can’t look away. And when she’s spouting nonsense about “trusting your body” to a room full of cancer patients? It’s chilling.

Clive, the tech guy, and bro but also the one character who seems to have actual expertise, becomes an unwilling accomplice in Belle’s empire.

Juicing the Scam: A Performance That’s Almost Too Real

Belle’s mother, who teeters between enabling and outright suffering from the grift, becomes a tragic element, while subplots involving stolen narratives (hello, borrowing cancer kid stories!) and effective altruism scams push the absurdity to a fever pitch.

Director [Jeffrey Walker] uses colorful, rhythmic cinematography to contrast the darkness of the subject matter. The camera focuses on close-ups. It highlights Milla’s wide-eyed charisma and the desperate faces of her followers. The facade of wellness is carefully curated. It’s just one green juice away from complete collapse.

Wellness Gone Wild

The show doesn’t hold back. It delves into the cult-like grip of alternative medicine. It examines the performative empathy of wellness influencers. It also explores the bizarre detachment of those who profit from hope.

Holistic health and “effective altruism” fraud, and a character literally borrowing scientific concepts from a rival and remashing them like a bad smoothie.

At one point, the script topples right into absolute chaos. There is a leech therapy retreat and a dramatic showdown between real doctors and wellness Milla [Alycia Debnam-Carey], a cancer patient and former follower of Belle’s magical ways.

Additionally, a side plot involves a stolen pantry idea turned awards night disaster.

The series doesn’t just tell a story; it unloads an entire exposé on the exploitative side of wellness culture.

The Verdict: Sip or Skip?

Apple Cider Vinegar is an absolute must-watch, especially if you enjoy the depths of insidious dramas that expose real-world absurdities.

It’s infuriating, compelling, and laced with just enough humor to keep you from rage-quitting society altogether.

I give Apple Cider Vinegar Mini Series

4 Hot Enemas out of 5

Capsule Review

⭐ Apple Cider Vinegar (2025)
🔥 Verdict: Must-watch
🎭 Genre: Psychological drama, satire
🎥 Standout Performance: [Alycia Debnam-Carey]
📺 Where to Watch: [Netflix]
💡 Best for Fans of: The Dropout, Inventing Anna, and “that one wellness friend who swears apple cider vinegar cures everything.”

Apple Cider Vinegar

Director: Jeffrey Walker

Date Created: 2025-02-06 21:24

Editor's Rating:
4