Under the Bridge (TV series)

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Under the Bridge
GenreTrue crime
Based onUnder the Bridge
by Rebecca Godfrey
Developed byQuinn Shephard
Starring
Music byAlex Somers
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJan Peter Meyboom
Cinematography
  • Checco Varese
  • C. Kim Miles
  • Minka Farthing-Kohl
Editors
  • Justin Li
  • Tyler L. Cook
  • Sabrina Pitre
  • Garret Price
  • Kye Meechan
  • Kyle Reiter
Running time35–47 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHulu
ReleaseApril 17, 2024 (2024-04-17) –
present (present)

Under the Bridge is an American true crime drama television miniseries developed by Quinn Shephard that is based upon the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey. The series premiered on Hulu on April 17, 2024.[1]

Premise[edit]

It follows the murder of Reena Virk, as a woman enters the hidden world of the accused killers.

Cast and characters[edit]

Main[edit]

Recurring[edit]

  • Anoop Desai as Raj Masihajjar
  • Jared Ager-Foster as Connor Fields
  • Isabella Leon as Samara Bailey

Episodes[edit]

No.TitleDirected byWritten by [3]Original release date [4]
1"Looking Glass"Geeta Vasant PatelQuinn ShephardApril 17, 2024 (2024-04-17)
In 1997, 14-year-old Reena Virk of Saanich, British Columbia rebels against her strict Indian-Canadian family, who are also Jehovah's Witnesses. She seeks friendship from a clique of fellow teen girls, who idolize gangsters and call themselves the CMC, for “Crips Mafia Cartel.” After the ringleader Josephine Bell ostracizes Reena, she steals Josephine’s phone book and uses it to spread insulting rumors about Josephine. In retaliation, the CMC assaults Reena under a bridge. Reena’s family reports her missing. However, she has run away before and only Officer Cam Bentland takes the situation seriously. Meanwhile, Rebecca Godfrey returns to British Columbia, after ten years in New York City. She plans to write a book about troubled girls in the area, and goes to the Seven Oaks Youth Home, where she meets Josephine and other CMC girls. She gives them her phone number for possible future interviews. Cam leads a police search and they find Reena’s underwear in the Gorge Waterway. The police bring in the CMC for questioning concerning a possible homicide. Josephine calls Rebecca, who comes to the precinct and pretends to be her guardian.
2"The John Gotti of Seven Oaks"Kevin PhillipsAshley CardiffApril 17, 2024 (2024-04-17)
The police discover, via surveillance footage, that Reena survived the assault and is now assumed alive. They release all the teens from police custody. Josephine and Rebecca make a deal for Josephine to take her to the bridge and explain what happened. Cam visits Rebecca to ask what she knows, but Rebecca reveals no information. In flashbacks, Reena clashes with her strict mother Suman, and shoplifts with Josephine. In the present, Josephine and another CMC girl, Dusty Pace, take Rebecca to the bridge. Josephine claims that, after the initial assault, she followed Reena and pushed her over the bridge’s railing. Dusty and Rebecca are horrified. Down river, Reena’s body is discovered in the Portage Inlet. Cam questions Dusty, who confesses what Josephine said about pushing Reena. Manjit, Reena’s father, learns that a criminal record of his has been expunged. Josephine takes Rebecca to a party, where the television announces that Reena’s body has been found. Josephine appears to be shocked by the news.
3"Blood Oath"Catherine HardwickeJihan CrowtherApril 24, 2024 (2024-04-24)
Rebecca tells Cam that Josephine took credit for killing Reena. Cam counters that Josephine has an alibi because she had signed into Seven Oaks by the midnight curfew, about the time Reena was killed. Rebecca confronts Josephine, who insists Reena is only dead because she planned it. A vigil is held at Reena’s school, where Rebecca meets Reena’s uncle, Raj. Rebecca and Cam go out for drinks, dance, and have sex. During a flashback, Reena continues to rebel, and Manjit invites her friends to dinner to make peace. In the present, Cam discovers Manjit’s expunged criminal record and gets Rebecca to ask Raj about it. Samara Bailey suspects that her boyfriend, Warren Glowatski, had something to do with Reena’s murder. He plays her the song “187 He Wrote” by Spice 1, which includes the lyrics “me say the murder the murder he wrote,” as an indirect confession. Josephine is surprised to find Reena’s muddy Steve Madden boots in her closet. CMC member Kelly Ellard says she “did it” for Josephine.
4"Beautiful British Columbia"Nimisha MukerjiStuti MalhotraMay 1, 2024 (2024-05-01)

Two timelines intercut during the episode. The first set of flashbacks begin when Reena's grandparents moving to Canada in 1951, where Suman is born. They are victims of xenophobia, but the family finds acceptance among the Jehovah’s Witnesses. When Suman is a young adult, she meets Manjit while he is visiting from India. Though they are both Punjabis, Suman’s parents don’t approve since Manjit is a Sikh and might be using Suman to get permanent residency. Despite this, he declares his love, converts, and they marry.

In the second set of flashbacks, Josephine, Kelly, and Dusty come to dinner at Reena’s house. Manjit attempts to talk to Josephine about her broken family, which enrages her. After the girls leave, two things are missing: Reena’s bird, Smooch, and Suman’s heirloom earrings. The next day, Reena tells the girls she isn’t allowed to hang out with them anymore. In turn, Josephine convinces Reena to lie about her homelife so she can live at Seven Oaks. Smooch returns home. Manjit is arrested after Reena accuses him of sexually molesting her.
5"When the Heat Comes Down"Quinn ShephardTom HanadaMay 8, 2024 (2024-05-08)
6"In the Water They Sink the Same"Quinn ShephardQuinn Shephard & Samir MehtaMay 15, 2024 (2024-05-15)
7"Three and Seven"Dinh ThaiTodd CrittendenMay 22, 2024 (2024-05-22)
8"Mercy Alone"[3]TBASamir MehtaMay 29, 2024 (2024-05-29)

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

In September 2022, Hulu gave the series an 8-episode order, with Samir Mehta and Liz Tigelaar set to executive produce, with Quinn Shephard adapting the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey.[5]

Casting[edit]

In December 2022, Riley Keough, Izzy G, Chloe Guidry, Ezra Faroque Khan, Archie Panjabi, Vritika Gupta, Javon Walton, Aiyana Goodfellow and Lily Gladstone joined the cast of the series, in series regular capacity.[6][7][8][9]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography took place in Vancouver, BC from December 2022 to May 2023.[10][11]

Reception[edit]

Audience viewership[edit]

According to Whip Media's TV Time, Under the Bridge was the ninth most streamed original television series across all platforms in the United States during the week of April 21,[12] and the seventh during the week of April 28, 2024.[13] The streaming aggregator JustWatch reported the show was the fourth most streamed television series across all platforms in the United States between April 22–28, 2024.[14]

Critical response[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an 84% approval rating with an average rating of 7.6/10, based on 45 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Unraveling a brutal mystery with a sensitive touch, Under the Bridge occasionally glosses over its most interesting elements but excels as an exploration of cruelty."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 70 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rice, Lynette (February 9, 2024). "Hulu Reveals Premiere Dates For 'Under The Bridge,' 'The Contestant' & 'Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "See Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough in Hulu's Crime Drama 'Under the Bridge'". ELLE. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Under the Bridge - WGA Directory". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  4. ^ "Shows A-Z – Under the Bridge on Hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  5. ^ Rice, Lynette (September 27, 2022). "Hulu Orders Eight-Episode Limited Series 'Under The Bridge'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 1, 2022). "Riley Keough To Headline & EP 'Under The Bridge' Hulu Limited Series, Will Play Author Rebecca Godfrey". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  7. ^ Otterson, Joe (December 7, 2022). "'Under the Bridge' Hulu Series With Riley Keough Casts Chloe Guidry, Izzy G, Ezra Faroque Khan (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 8, 2022). "Archie Panjabi Joins 'Under the Bridge'; Vritika Gupta, Javon Walton & Aiyana Goodfellow Also Cast In Hulu Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (December 12, 2022). "Lily Gladstone Joins 'Under The Bridge' Hulu Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  10. ^ Anderson, Sarah (December 8, 2022). "Hulu begins filming series about tragic murder of Canadian teen Reena Virk". Daily Hive. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  11. ^ Coyne, Todd (December 14, 2022). "Murder of Victoria teen Reena Virk subject of new television series". CTV News. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Prange, Stephanie (April 23, 2024). "Prime Video's 'Fallout' Again Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart". Media Play News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  13. ^ Prange, Stephanie (May 1, 2024). "Prime Video's 'Fallout' Again Tops Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Originals Chart". Media Play News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (April 29, 2024). "JustWatch: 'Late Night With the Devil,' 'Fallout' Top Weekly Streaming Through April 28". Media Play News. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  15. ^ "Under the Bridge: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  16. ^ "Under the Bridge: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved April 19, 2024.

External links[edit]

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