A review of Apple Cider Vinegar (2025)
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Apple Cider Vinegar (2025) is a new Netflix original limited series that centers around a morally gray-woman and her schemes.
Netflix, a household-known streaming service with countless television shows and movies, has also brought something new to the media scene: limited series. These Netflix original limited series are just a few episodes long and deliver a self-contained plot.
One notable limited series on Netflix is Apple Cider Vinegar (2025), an Australian drama with six episodes, each around an hour long. I discovered this show because it was featured in the “Top 10 TV shows in the U.S. Today” category on Netflix when it was released, and I finished it quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed watching this series and rate it a seven out of 10. While I have a few praises, my review comes with a handful of critiques as well.
Something that I quickly noticed about this series was its similarity to a previous Netflix limited series called Inventing Anna (2022). Both series have a similar plot structure: a woman beloved by many people pretends to be something she is not. Another funny similarity is that the main characters of both Apple Cider Vinegar (2025) and Inventing Anna (2022), played by Kaitlyn Dever and Julia Garner, respectively, share a striking resemblance (at least, I think so).
For those who have not seen Apple Cider Vinegar (2025) yet, the plot follows a woman, Belle Gibson, as she builds a social media platform and business off of “curing her own brain cancer with the proper diet.” It is later confirmed that Belle never had brain cancer, meaning her entire fanbase is built off a lie.
My first critique of this series is that it could be potentially harmful to those with an invisible illness. There are many times when phrases such as “you do not look sick” and “look at them, they are actually sick” are used to discredit people who have invisible illnesses. While in the specific scenario, they are being used against someone who is not ill, these messages have been negatively used in the media to those who have an invisible illness in very real and damaging ways.
Something that I did enjoy about this series was the portrayal of the main character’s actions and how they affected her son. She fakes a wide variety of things in front of him, and each time she does, she receives attention from others online. This obviously has an influence on her son’s behavior, who, in a later episode—repeatedly—pretends to be injured to gain attention from others.
My favorite moment from the show is a scene between Belle and her son. After a dramatic event, the main character returns home to find her son with bandages he does not need on his arm. In response, Belle breaks down, removing the bandages and telling him how he “does not need them.” I think that moment reflects how Belle realizes her actions have spiraled out of her control, and it is time for her to face the truth. The moment is also heartbreaking because it will most likely follow her son throughout his life.
Unfortunately, the ending left me a bit disappointed. I warn you that there will be a large spoiler ahead. Belle refuses to take accountability for her actions, and in interviews, she claims that she really did believe she had brain cancer. This ending felt very rushed to me and was introduced in a very sudden manner, with minimal time left to expand on the subject.
The ending had me thinking back to Inventing Anna (2022) again because they have similar endings. Even though Anna is found guilty in that series, she never fully admits to what she has done. While I think that this is a great reflection of their values and their character as it leaves me a little disappointed as a watcher searching for a happy ending— or at least one where I feel a more solid sense of justice.