Under the Bridge - A Hulu Series Review

No one rests until justice is served.

Based on the memoir written by Rebecca Godfrey, Under the Bridge is a 2024 Hulu series based on true events. Reena Virk, a Fourteen-year-old girl is murdered by a group of vengeful peers in Victoria, British Columbia. As seven teenagers undergo an investigation, the police hope to bring justice to the Virk family.

When I learned that Under the Bridge was based on true events, my heart ached at the tragic events. Series like this are important as they provide justice to those who have met unfair fates. Under the Bridge is riveting and regales the dark nature of bullying to put it to an end.

Under the Bridge is a well-acted series. The cast accommodated well-known and unknown actors. Fresh off her Oscar-nominated performance, Lily Gladstone stars as Officer Cam Bentland. Gladstone takes her roles to heart and always gives a strong performance. The situation takes a toll on Cam, but she always fights her case and investigates clues.

For her role as the late Rebecca Godfrey, Riley Keoung watched videos on the real-life author and read investigative journals and diaries to get a feel for her performance. Keoung’s role was mostly fictionalized from the real Godfrey. Godfrey’s actions raise questions, especially about whose side she’s on.

The casting of the teenage characters was absolutely astonishing. Vritika Gupta won the part of Reena Virk out of 700 girls! Reena is undergoing a difficult time where she just wants to be accepted. Her decisions lead her down the wrong path. The series focused highly on Reena’s character, making her well-rounded and relatable.

Chloe Guidry, Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Izzy G., and Aiyana Goodfellow were tremendous. For their age, these roles were not easy as they magnificently portrayed unpleasant, dark, and guilted emotions. Each character has a different reaction to the events, establishing impressive subtlety.

Credits also include Ezra Faroque Khan, Archie Panjabi, and Anoop Desai as Reena’s family. The Virk household is tense when Reena joins the peer group. Reena’s father Manjit Virk worked closely with showrunners to tell his late daughter’s story. The Virk family has persistently called for justice for their family.

The series remains true to its source material, although it takes creative liberties. That’s one element I had mixed opinions about. Based on other reviews, the series fabricated and fictionalized parts of the story. I wasn’t fond of how Godfrey got her intell, even taking substances that could risk her health. Filmmakers add complex issues to the story.

The late Rebecca Godfrey passed away shortly before filming the series began. She did make comments on the final scripts and cast Gladstone and Keoung for their respective roles. Justice is the main theme of Under the Bridge. The series takes viewers through law and trials. The real court cases were taken from real testimonials of the attackers.

This story has stuck with me long after I finished the series. True crime stories have that effect on you. We learn from the behaviors and actions of everyone involved. Reena’s killers may have been put to their rightful wrongs, but her story still lingers on.

This series makes viewers reflect, especially on bullying. We need to stop bullying. Although we don’t witness Reena’s fate, the appalling event is described in explicit and unsettling detail. It’s heartbreaking what happens because her situation could have been avoided.

Under the Bridge is a well-shot, cast, and directed story. It is not a happy series, but I kept watching for the talented actors. Take a look at this engaging series on Hulu.