Under the Bridge Review | Lily Gladstone & Riley Keough Lead Stellar True Crime Series

Summary

• The drama delves into the cruelty of bullying and racism while exploring a haunting true crime story from the late ’90s.
• Compelling performances by the ensemble cast bring depth to the tragic tale of Reena Virk’s murder.
• The series touches on themes of race, connection, and belonging, offering a beguiling new miniseries to get immersed in.

Social media wasn’t around in 1997. It hadn’t firmly planted itself in our lives, “influencing” us at will, particularly teenagers, but cruelty and abuse has always existed. Set in the late ’90s, Hulu’s new drama Under the Bridge recalls some of the emotional combat happening daily on the internet, where bullying and hateful acts are rampant, provoking ongoing measures for protection.

It also makes you wonder how things would have played out today for the real Reena Virk, around whom this series revolves. Virk’s body was found dead eight days after she was surrounded and beaten by a group of teenagers on Nov. 14, 1997, in British Columbia. She was only 14.

Based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey’s true-crime book of the same name, the limited series stars Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Javon “Wanna” Walton, Izzy G., Aiyana Goodfellow, Ezra Faroque Khan, and Archie Panjabi. With hints of Mare of Easttown and Sharp Objects, the outing is compelling from beginning to end, effectively capturing Virk’s haunting and heartbreaking tale. It’s a thoughtful gem of a series fueled by the captivating performances of its ensemble cast, with Gladstone, Keough, and newcomer Gupta surely destined for Emmy noms.

This Real-Life Crime Caper Sizzles

Under the Bridge (2024)

4.5/5

Release Date April 17, 2024

Cast Riley Keough , Izzy G , Chloe Guidry , Ezra Faroque Khan , Archie Panjabi , Vritika Gupta , Javon Walton , Aiyana Goodfellow , Lily Gladstone , Anoop Desai

Seasons 1

Studio ABC Signature, Best Day Ever Productions, Felix Culpa

Streaming Service(s) Hulu

Pros

• A powerful study of a tragic true crime story.
• Excellent performances across the board.
• The series is very perceptive about teenagers.

Cons

• The relationship between Rebecca and Cam should’ve been explored more.

Under the Bridge is loaded with executive producers: Quinn Shephard, Samir Mehta (Fear the Walking Dead), author Rebecca Godfrey, and star Riley Keough among them. Godfrey died at the age of 54 from lung cancer in 2022, just a week after the series was greenlit. The author’s passion for the project shines through, however, just as it did in her book. Told through the eyes of (the character) Rebecca Godfrey (played by Keough) and a local police officer, Cam Bentland (Gladstone), the series draws viewers into the lives of the young girls accused of the murder, illuminating surprising insights about Virk’s possible killer.

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The story begins on the day of Reena’s death, then proceeds to jump across timelines to flesh out the details. We soon discover Reena has been kicked out of the “in” crowd led by steely Josephine Bell (a fierce Chloe Guidry), a brat with an eerie fixation with John Gotti. Jo’s pals, Kelly Ellard and Dusty Pace, adhere to her every whim, although Kelly emerges as an unpredictable wild card here.

On the adult side, we find author Rebecca arriving in town just as Reena has gone missing. Moved by her disappearance, she inserts herself into the missing person’s case, which vexes her former childhood pal, Cam, who’s become a police officer alongside her father and brother. The two share a troubled past, you see, which Rebecca has not come to terms with. Rebecca’s desire to write a book about the events only adds fuel to the emotional fire for all parties, including Reena’s anguished parents, played with depth and realistic heartache by Archie Panjabi and Ezra Faroque Khan. Showrunner Quinn Shepard adds layers of intrigue with each passing episode, and overall, the story is fully absorbing and gripping.

Complex Tale Touches on Race, Connection, and Belonging

Under the Bridge does wonders playing off several key points. Racial issues hit the top of that list. Reena and her family are from India. One flashback episode finds Reena rebelling against her Indian heritage and her family’s chosen religious path as Jehovah’s Witnesses. She makes a mad dash into Jo’s camp, but she’s considered an outsider and must win everybody’s approval. We also witness the backstory of Reena’s parents and the backlash they endured entering a predominantly white B.C. neighborhood. Then there’s Cam, an Indigenous person whose own life path — she was adopted — comes into question.

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These themes swirl around in the showrunner’s creative kaleidoscope, presenting a beguiling landscape to explore that universal ache for acceptance and belonging, and the fragilities of community. Jo, Kelly, and Dusty, all foster children, make for a good clique, but underneath the emotional brick walls they’ve erected lies traumatized young girls who’ve never benefitted from empathy, compassion, guidance, or unconditional love. There’s a twisted turn when, desperately hoping to fit in with the group, Reena turns on her own family, an action that fractures their connection.

The Great Performances of Under the Bridge

Vritika Gupta is mesmerizing and believable here, playing Reena, a tormented teen looking for some kind of soft landing. Gladstone, fresh off her commanding turn in Killers of the Flower Moon, recalls Jodie Foster’s sharp yet complex take as yet another troubled police officer in the fourth season of True Detective Gladstone offers more by doing less. There’s something in the soulful eyes of this performer that keeps you invested in her every move.

Riley Keough gives Rebecca an angsty edge that befits the character. The series could have offered a few more moments with her and Gladstone to really explore some of the complexities of their past, but overall, these actresses are a dynamic pairing. Euphoria fans will perk up at the site of Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, who played Ashtray on the hit series. He turns in a captivating performance as Warren, an A-lister teen who’s thrown off course, and somebody whom Rebecca ultimately befriends.

The story itself is given great care with directors Geeta Patel (Ahsoka, Meet the Patels) handling episode one and Catherine Hardwicke at the helm of episode three. Having directed Twilight and Lords of Dogtown, Hardwicke especially knows how to craft effective scenes with teenagers. This is a tragic story, but as Under the Bridge plays out, it’s clear showrunner Quinn Shephard wanted to not only offer a must-see drama, but also bring about a sense of justice to the Reena Virk story, and the lives of other beleaguered teens whose fates can be so dramatically altered in the blink of an eye. Watch Under the Bridge on Hulu, beginning April 17, through the link below:

Watch Under the Bridge

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