Artificial Health, Simulated Wellness: Netflix’s ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’
As social media platforms continue to become an ever-present part of modern life, the rise of ‘influencer culture’ in recent years has completely transformed the relationships between consumer audiences and the commercial world. When people are the product, and a lifestyle determines sale value, the lengths that people are willing to go to obtain notoriety online continues to grow, often reaching dangerous new heights.
Netflix’s new limited series ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ seeks to explore this phenomenon through the world of health and wellness content. Following the story of Belle Gibson, a health influencer who first gained prominence through claiming radical alternative medicine and a healthy lifestyle as the cure for her terminal brain cancer. Bringing together narratives of medical fraud and the complex lies behind an artificial online persona, American actress Kaitlyn Dever invites viewers to experience the dangerously obsessive behaviours behind early internet figureheads.
Eventually going on to use her new found fame to release The Whole Pantry, a highly successful health app and book, Belle built a substantial following online leveraging lies and deception to convince thousands against pursuing conventional medical care. Leading to a slow descent into confusion and suspicion as her lies catch up to her; a unique cocktail of horrifying entertainment and catharsis.
Advertised as a ‘true-ish’ story based on real life events, ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ tows the line between exploring Gibson’s ‘untouchable’ wellness empire with the real-life impact of her lies through Lucy, a fictionalised version of several people who were victims of Belle’s deception. Far away from the glitz and glamour of internet notoriety and new fame, Lucy experiences severe difficulties with conventional cancer treatment methods. Eventually, she turns to alternative medicine to cure her condition through ‘natural processes’ as her husband, a journalist, begins to sow the seeds for the public’s eventual distrust and subsequently, exposing Gibson as a con-artist.
Samantha Strauss, the show’s creator, describes the character arc Lucy faces as an important and necessary allegory for the real experiences of people fighting long-term chronic diseases, as they face barriers with being listened to by medical professionals.She comments: “We know they’re selling us something, but when you’re terrified that you’re sick and dying… you can’t put a price on hope.”
As the narrative progresses, Milia Blake, played by Australian actress Alycia Debham-Carey, eventually passes away from her cancer, despite her fervent support for alternative health. In turn, she casts further doubt on the validity of Belle Gibson’s diagnosis and healing journey, as her internal pressure continues to grow. Faced with a harsh fall from grace, the show ends with a message of moderation as Belle goes on to accept chemotherapy treatments in conjunction with ice baths, yoga and other traditional ‘wellness’ activities.
Unapologetically ‘baring the teeth’ of the wellness space, the show’s messaging is crystal clear. In a world filled with an endless supply of attractive, heroic stories designed to capture the attention of a growing inter-connected online population, discernment is key when navigating approaches to healthcare. Warning scammers looking to take advantage of the system that no matter how far you run, the truth will always find you.
Having binged the entire series in a matter of days, I thoroughly enjoyed this window into an unfamiliar and dangerous world and would highly recommend it to any keen-eyed, observant viewer. If you find yourself looking to gain a broader perspective behind how social influence manifests in our current Internet Age, Apple Cider Vinegar is one hell of a thought experiment.
Apple Cider Vinegar is a limited-series available now for streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Edited by Emily Henman, Co Film & TV Editor
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