The story of fake online wellness guru Belle Gibson is a familiar one: fake, found out, justice. But Apple Cider Vinegar, a six-episode rendition based (howsoever loosely) on a journalistic expose, is turned by Samantha Strauss’s sparky, imaginative script (backed by superbly tight and watchable direction from Jeffrey Walker) into something special. We know the arc but the pleasure is in how the tale unfolds, how the goodies and baddies operate, and indeed in the depth of human understanding shown to all the characters, even the super villainess herself. All the actors are beautifully cast, with Kaitlyn Dever riveting in the Belle role, and Mark Cole Smith and Ashley Zuckerman quietly magnificent in two of the key male roles. Each of the six episodes packs a punch, and the series is bold in its use of time jumps and quirky voiceovers or actor intrusions. The thundering plotline manages to illuminate important themes, such as conventional versus alternative medicines, the ghastly potential for influencers to falsify, and the human desire for connection when unwell. From dramatic start to apt ending, Apple Cider Vinegar is magical.
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