Latest news with #UndertheBridge
Metro
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
ITV drops all episodes of gripping crime thriller that fans hailed 'phenomenal'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Another week, another true crime thriller for fans to dig their teeth into – this time with an acclaimed cast. The tense eight-episode drama, Under the Bridge, has finally landed on ITV for viewers to watch for free in the UK, and you are in for an emotional rollercoaster. The 2024 series stars Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone opposite Daisy Jones and the Six actor Riley Keough. Described as a 'haunting drama inspired by a tragic true story', we follow 'A writer and a cop investigate a brutal murder tied to a group of troubled teens.' Partially based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey (portrayed by Riley in the show), the story delves into the 1997 case of 14-year-old Reena Virk, the child of Indian immigrants, who attends an island party but never returns home. The Killers of the Flower Moon star portrays cop Cam Bentland. Securing a neat 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show has been widely praised by fans for its impactful storyline. 'I thought it was phenomenal and one of the only TV shows I have given a 10/10. I have trouble focusing [while] watching new shows, and I sat through this like a hawk,' Google reviewer Nevada Sassin said, calling Gladstone's acting 'raw and completely real'. User kg dubbed it an 'incredible show' they 'binged all at once' and Nelson agreed it was a 'great series about a horrible crime. All the depictions of the main protagonists are very well done.' 'Transfixed from the first episode! Heartbreaking true story and the characters and actors portraying them were all spellbinding, some you loved, some you detested which is a compliment to all the actors involved!' Gary Marsland shared. Yes, Under the Bridge is based on a real-life case of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old Girl from British Columbia in Canada who was beaten and drowned in 1997. It ultimately resulted in the sentencing of six teenagers, who would become known as 'the shoreline six'. The show, which also draws inspiration from Virk's father Manjit's 2008 memoir, has fictionalised aspects of the tale for the small screen, including the invention of Gladstone's character within the narrative. Over on X, user Hassan wrote: 'Just binge-watched Under The Bridge and it was great! Riley Keough, Lily Gladstone, and the supporting cast are phenomenal in this true-crime series… 'But it's the criminally underrated ARCHIE PANJABI who completely blew me away with her heartbreaking performance. What a talent!' 'This goes straight to my top 2024 TV shows. This binge-watching was a hell of an emotional roller coaster: from sadness, to anger, to frustration to the even the final acceptance and understanding,' Sandra echoed. More Trending In an interview with Variety, Gladstone opened up about the importance of portraying this story sensitively and with Reena at the heart of it. The indigenous actor, 38, said: 'You get a chance to love her. She's not just a young brown woman's body experiencing violence. This is a human being attached to a generations-long legacy in history. 'You feel the immensity of the loss when you see who she is in the landscape of her whole family and get to know her as a girl you could be friends with.' View More » Under the Bridge is available to stream on ITVX now. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: All 16 episodes of creepy thriller that's 'so bad it's good' now streaming on BBC iPlayer MORE: 'Best crime thriller of 2025' confirms season 2 on Netflix after 26,100,000 views MORE: Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty announce end of marriage after 13 years
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Separating Fact From Fiction In ITV's Real Life Crime Thriller 'Under The Bridge'
'Hell is a teenage girl,' or so goes the phrase made infamous by the 2009 film Jennifer's Body, now a cult classic for its sly depiction of feminine rage. But a young girl's rage can be as terrible as it is cathartic, as easily co-opted as misunderstood. Both are sentiments untangled in the Hulu series Under the Bridge, now showing on ITV and adapted from Rebecca Godfrey's celebrated 2005 true-crime book of the same name. The book and series track the 1997 death of Reena Virk—a British Columbian 14-year-old girl who was beaten and drowned in a saltwater inlet known as the Gorge Waterway—and the subsequent murder investigation, which resulted in the sentencing of six teenage girls and one boy. To adapt the story for television, series creator Quinn Shephard worked closely with Godfrey in the years leading up to Godfrey's death from lung cancer in October 2022, and, per The Wrap, Godfrey herself opted for Daisy Jones and the Six actress Riley Keough to portray her in the Hulu adaptation. The series pulls the bulk of its plot and characters from Godfrey's investigation (her book, as well as her various notes and transcripts), and from a memoir published by Reena's father, Manjit Virk, in 2008. But Shephard and her collaborators are transparent about the numerous fictionalized and invented details within the show, including changed names, shuffled timelines, and a cop character played by Killers of the Flower Moon actress Lily Gladstone. As Shephard told in an exclusive first look at the show, the writers had 'a lot of conversations about responsible fictionalization. How could we tell a story that felt like it spoke to a universal truth about being a child when we were missing certain details? But we still wanted [Reena] to feel like a meaningful character in the series.' Although the series never purports to display a full, 100-percent accurate portrait of Reena's death, it is nevertheless worth parsing the details of the case to better understand where the show delves into creative license. Ahead, a few important questions to consider when separating the fact from the fictionalized in Under the Bridge. Reena, daughter of Manjit Virk and Suman Virk, was a student at Colquitz Junior Secondary in Victoria, British Columbia. In her book, Godfrey described Reena as possessing 'a rare combination of boldness and innocence,' and that she was 'dark skinned and heavy in a town and time that valued the thin and the blonde.' She was the daughter of an Indian immigrant, Manjit, and an Indo-Canadian, Suman, whose family had converted from Hinduism to the Jehovah's Witness faith soon after Reena's grandmother, Tarsem, first arrived in Canada. Reena, at 14, liked Biggie and Bollywood movies. According to Godfrey, Reena 'had announced that she did not want to be a Jehovah's Witness any longer' by the time of her death, and had rebelled against the rules of her household by skipping meals, smoking cigarettes, changing her clothes, and running away from home. When the Associated Press first reported on Reena's 'grisly' murder, it cited a person 'close to the victim's family,' who 'described Ms. Virk as an occasional runaway who did not get along well with her parents.' In the same story, Manjit told the AP that his daughter's 'biggest problem was her associations, her friends.' Under the Bridge executive producer Samir Mehta told he was intrigued by the project, in part, because of 'the opportunity to tell the story of an Indian child of an immigrant. It's an interesting opportunity to just dig into that dynamic, which I feel like we haven't really seen a lot of on TV.' Yes. According to a CBC News article published in 2006, Reena informed social workers in 1996 that she'd been physically, sexually, and mentally abused in the Virks' home, an accusation that led to Manjit's arrest. An MSNBC program centered on Reena's murder ran in 2011, titled Bloodlust Under the Bridge, and reported that 'the Virks say Reena was lured into making false accusations by her friends, who had convinced her that being put into foster care would catapult her into teen paradise.' She would be 'free of her parents and all their rules.' Reena left her family's home and went into the care of the Canadian Ministry of Families and Children in the fall of 1996, and after a couple of months, per MSNBC, she made the accusation against Manjit. After a few months in foster care, Reena told her parents she was 'tired of the foster home' and returned to living with them, dropping the charges against her father. A report published in 2006 by the British Columbia Coroners Service found that 'social workers failed Reena Virk by putting her in foster care without confirming whether her allegations of family abuse were true.' According to CBC News, the allegations against Reena's parents 'tore the family apart.' Reena's mother, Suman, told the Victoria Times-Colonist that 'these [social workers] are trained professionals, and they couldn't clue in that this child was a total storyteller.' Reena's official cause of death was drowning. The following account is outlined in Godfrey's book: On Friday, November 14, 1997, teenagers Josephine and Dusty (both pseudonyms employed by Godfrey) invited Reena to a party. Reena agreed to attend—though she hesitated, as she'd recently been caught spreading rumors about Josephine—and told her family she'd return by 10pm. That evening, the trio joined a much larger group of students on a field at Shoreline School, where they watched a Russian satellite explode in the sky at 9.12pm. Soon after the unexpected light show, a girl whom Godfrey referred to as 'Laila' walked onto the field and announced she'd been called upon to 'fight a girl.' Reena, guessing Josephine had brought in Laila to exact retribution for the rumors, started to run. A number of girls caught up with Reena, and they tore up her bus pass as she called her little brother from a phone booth, telling him she'd be home soon. The girls then pulled Reena down under the bridge along the Gorge Waterway, where Josephine reportedly screamed at Reena for 'trying to ruin my life'. She then held her lit cigarette against Reena's forehead, igniting the fight that would eventually end Reena's life. Although Godfrey reports there were 14 girls and two boys under the bridge that night, a handful of them actively participated in beating Reena. Laila eventually broke up the fight, leaving Reena alone and bleeding. As the first three episodes of Under the Bridge depict, an injured-but-alive Reena initially walked away from the scene, only to be followed by two teenagers—Kelly Marie Ellard and Warren Glowatski—who continued the brutal attack. At the water's edge, Kelly then held Reena's head underwater and drowned her. Six girls, including Josephine, Dusty, and Kelly, were sentenced for their involvement in the assault. Warren and Kelly were eventually convicted of second-degree murder. In Under the Bridge, both the book and show, a number of names are changed, including for the characters of Josephine (played by Chloe Guidry) and Dusty (played by Aiyana Goodfellow). The real names of the girls involved—apart from Kelly Marie Ellard (played by Izzy G.), whose real name is used—were Nicole Cook, Missy Grace Pleich, Nicole Patterson, Gail Ooms, and Courtney Keith. Warren Glowatski's real name is used in both the book and show. Izzy G's Kelly Ellard is depicted, in the show's eighth and final episode, repeatedly denying that she killed Reena. When she takes the stand during her and Warren Glowatski's trial, she occasionally veers into a sudden and bizarre British accent. This behavior echoes what Godfrey laid out in her book, in which the author writes: 'Kelly told her story of the evening and as she spoke, her voice took on a clipped, precise tone, both prim and concise, and occasionally it seemed she was using a British accent ... It seemed then that Kelly must have stood up, though she remained seated, and yet her voice was so loud and forceful as she screamed: "I did not kill Reena Virk and I will repeat it and repeat it and I will stick with that until the day I die! I don't care how much jail time I do, I did not kill Reena Virk. I will still say I did not kill Reena Virk until the day I die. I don't care if I get another life sentence but I did not kill Reena Virk!"' In her book, Godfrey rarely mentions herself; she is not a character in the story, let alone a major one. As the author told The Believer in 2019, 'I don't know if it was an issue of ego, or an artistic choice, but either way, I didn't think my role as reporter was interesting or necessary. I suppose I was also skittish about the parallels with my own life. I didn't want to talk about my brother's death or my own troubled adolescence in Victoria.' In the series, Keough is one of the lead actresses, and a significant amount of screen time is spent focusing specifically on Godfrey's role in the story, including her background as a kid in Victoria and her real-life brother's drowning. As Shephard told Godfrey helped the adaptation team develop the fictionalized 'TV Rebecca' in order to 'make her into a dynamic leading character.' Shephard similarly told The Wrap that she'd come up with the idea of fictionalizing Godfrey before she'd even had a chance to meet the author. The series creator shared that making Godfrey a character was integral to not only 'explor[ing] the book,' but also to 'zoom out from it as the only definitive account of the crime.' In the Hulu series, Keough's Godfrey refers multiple times to her late brother, Gabe, and his tragic death. This, too, is pulled from reality: The real-life Godfrey's brother was named Jonathan, and when he was 16, he 'fell from a bluff near [the family's] home and drowned,' per Godfrey's New York Times obituary. 'I had a fraught and very difficult teenage experience—my brother drowned when I was thirteen,' she told The Believer. 'I went a little wild after that and lost interest in high school, and got into the punk scene in downtown Victoria. Being in that scene was great because I could hide behind this mask of anger and coolness and toughness, and think, "Oh, I look scary, so everyone will leave me alone." In retrospect, I'm sure I didn't look as tough as I thought I did, but the music and that crowd was a good disguise.' Police officer Cam Bentland is one of few entirely invented components in Under the Bridge. A composite character representing multiple police sources Godfrey worked with during her reporting, Cam is an Indigenous cop adopted by a white family, and her history with the 'TV Rebecca' is a loaded one. Gladstone felt the character's identity added a layer of nuance that the book itself had not addressed, as she told the New York Times: 'The murder happened just by tribal land. The bridge connects the municipality to a reserve. So inherently, there's a First Nations presence in the story. I thought it was a brilliant construction to have a First Nations, adopted cop, who feels compelled to Reena in a way that becomes clearer and clearer to her.' In 2007, Warren Glowatski went up for parole. With the the help of the Virks—who 'explained to the parole board that Warren was on a good path and they did not want to stop his release,' according to Godfrey's book—he was released on full parole in June 2010, after having spent 11 years in prison. At the time of his release, CBC reported that Glowatski was living 'part-time in an apartment and going to school' but felt as if he 'had a big letter "C" for criminal, tattooed on his forehead.' He has since stayed away from the spotlight and has not commented on Under the Bridge. In 2005, Ellard was ultimately sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for seven years. It wasn't until 2017 that Ellard was granted day parole—meaning she would be allowed to navigate society during the day and return to a facility at night. By the time she requested a parole extension in 2018, Ellard had changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim. She had also, at last, confessed to her role in Reena's murder. (According to Godfrey, she described her involvement as such: '[Reena] drowned and I put her in the water.') Today, Ellard a.k.a. Sim lives in a residential facility in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. Having given birth to her first child in prison and her second while on day parole, she has 'often blamed [her] inability to move forward on the requirement to reside at the community-based residential facility, the high cost of living, parenting struggles as a single mother, and [her] ex-spouse abandoning [her] and [her] children,' according to parole documents cited by CBC. She is not allowed any contact with the Virk family. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Cosmopolitan
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Is ITV's Under the Bridge based on a true story? The real life case behind Reena Virk's tragic death
A chilling new drama, Under the Bridge,is set to air on ITV tonight (Friday 25th July). The eight-part series recounts the true story of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old who attended a party on an island in British Columbia, Canada, but tragically never made it back home. Seven teenage girls and a boy were implicated in Reena's murder. The story is told through the eyes of Rebecca and local police officer Cam Bentland (played by Lily Gladstone), pulling viewers into the complex world of the teenagers accused of murder - and uncovering some shocking truths along the way. "Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey's book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home," the official synopsis reads. "Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder - revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer." As Under the Bridge airs read on for the devastating true story that inspired the series. It is. on 14th November 1997, a 14-year-old girl named Reena Virk was attacked by a group of teenagers in Saanich, Canada. Her body was discovered eight days later in a nearby river. In 2008, Reena Virk's father, Manjit, published Reena: A Father's Story, a memoir that explores his daughter's life and the tragedy of her death. He describes Reena as a young girl who often felt like an outsider and endured relentless bullying. Her relationship with her Indian Canadian parents was complex, shaped in part by their strict upbringing and devotion to the Jehovah's Witness faith. At age 14, Virk began spending time with a group of teenagers, including Nicole Cook. According to the book Under the Bridge, tensions escalated when Reena allegedly spread hurtful rumours about Cook - claiming she had fake breasts, wore coloured contact lenses, and had AIDS. On the evening of 14th November 1997, Virk attended a party with some of her friends where she was confronted by Cook, according to the TV show Bloodlust Under the Bridge. Virk allegedly called her a "b***h," which prompted Cook to put a cigarette out on her forehead. Cook and Missy Grace Pleich said that Cook's best friend, Kelly Ellard, and Pleich both started to hit and kick Virk. Then the rest of the group, including Warren Glowatski, joined in. Virk managed to escape, but was followed by Glowatski and Ellard, who continued the assault before drowning her in the Victoria Gorge waterway. They were later tried as adults, and both received life sentences. Eight teenagers were ultimately tried and convicted in connection with Reena's tragic death. Six of them, later dubbed the Shoreline Six, were found guilty of assaulting her. while Warren and Kelly faced murder convictions, held responsible for taking her life. Their convictions were changed to manslaughter. The Shoreline Six included Ellard, Cook, Nicole Patterson, Courtney Keith, Gail Ooms, and Reena Virk's best friend, Pleich. They received sentences ranging from 60-day conditional sentences to one year in jail. Several of the teenagers involved in the initial attack on Virk were given fictional names in the series. For example, Nicole Cook is portrayed as Josephine Bell, played by Chloe Guidry. This was the name given to Cook by Godfrey for her 2017 Vice article about the incident as a way of protecting her identity since she was a teenager (aged 15) when it happened. Under the Bridge starts on ITV1 on Friday 25th July at 9pm.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'Exceptional' new ITV crime drama is a must-watch and now available to stream free
Under the Bridge, which premiered on Hulu in April, is now available to watch for free on ITVX and has been airing on ITV1. A new TV drama has just landed on UK streaming platforms for free, and it's essential viewing for true crime enthusiasts. The programme has been hailed as "phenomenal" as it appears to be a must-watch for those looking for their next binge. Under the Bridge, which debuted on Hulu back in April earlier this year, has now arrived on ITVX and is also currently airing on ITV 1. The eight-episode series is based on the book of the same name, penned by the late journalist Rebecca Godfrey. The programme explores the devastating true story of Reena Virk, who was brutally murdered in 1997 after attending a party, with seven teenage girls and one boy connected to Reena's killing. Under the Bridge tells the tale through the viewpoints of Rebecca, portrayed by Riley Keough, and police constable Cam Bentland, brought to life by Lily Gladstone, reports the Mirror. The show has attracted numerous glowing reviews online, with viewers particularly praising the stellar performances from the Under the Bridge cast. One fan shared their enthusiasm online, writing: "I have to say I am surprised this show has negative reviews, I thought it was phenomenal and one of the only tv shows I have given a 10/10. I have trouble focusing watching new shows and I sat through this like a hawk." Another viewer remarked: "Incredible show. Binged it all at once. Javon plays Warren impeccably. He really pulled me into the show with his portrayal of Warren G," whilst a third noted: "VERY emotionally wrenching and sociopolitically absorbing. Phenomenonal cast and music." Someone else commented: "Under the Bridge is an exceptional limited series that tells its story with remarkable impartiality, giving depth to both the victims and the perpetrators." Another viewer described it as "painfully hard to watch" but acknowledged that viewers will feel "compelled to finish" the series, which boasts "outstanding" performances and screenplay. The official synopsis for Under the Bridge reads: "Under the Bridge is based on acclaimed author Rebecca Godfrey's book about the 1997 true story of fourteen-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) who went to join friends at a party and never returned home. "Through the eyes of Godfrey (Riley Keough) and a local police officer (Lily Gladstone), the series takes us into the hidden world of the young girls accused of the murder - revealing startling truths about the unlikely killer." Meanwhile, another good spot on ITV and another crime thriller series has been hailed for its "riveting" acting. TV critics have been unable to pull themselves away from the programme, which many say is "addictive". Starring in the lead role in Code of Silence is Strictly Come Dancing star Rose Ayling-Ellis as Alison Brooks, a deaf civilian who is drafted in to assist a major police investigation; with all their hopes pinned on her ability to help aid their search. "Alison Brooks' lipreading skills pull her into the police's investigation of a dangerous gang, but her undeniable connection with criminal Liam Barlow threatens everything," the official synopsis reads. The series, which is now available on ITV and aired on the channel in May, has been given a perfect score of 100% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Although some feedback is mixed, it appears the one thing in common is that everyone could agree they couldn't stop watching.
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Scotsman
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Under the Bridge cast: who is in cast
Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough lead the cast of Under the Bridge 📺 Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... True crime drama Under the Bridge is set to air on ITV. It features an Oscar-nominee in the cast. But who else is in the series? Under the Bridge is the latest import from across the Atlantic to arrive on ITV. The true-crime drama is based on the disappearance of teenager Reena Virk in the 1990s. It is described as 'one of the most shocking Canadian crimes' of that decade. The show was originally on Disney+ but is coming to ITVX and traditional linear TV as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But who is in the cast of the show and where do you know them from? Here's all you need to know: When is Under the Bridge on TV? Under the Bridge is coming to ITV | ITV/ Hulu/ Disney Plus ITV has picked up the show in a deal with Disney Plus. More shows from the streaming platform have become available on ITVX as well - find out more here. It is set to be broadcast on Friday nights starting today (July 25) on ITV1/ STV. Under the Bridge will start at 9pm and the second episode will follow at 10pm. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad How to watch the full series of Under the Bridge? If you don't want to wait until next week to find out what happens next in the story, the full boxset is already available to watch on ITVX/ STV Player. All of the episodes became available today (July 25). Under the Bridge is also available to watch on Disney Plus - if you have a subscription to that. Who is in the cast of Under the Bridge? The true-crime drama boasts quite the incredible cast - including a recent Oscar-nominee. The full list includes: Main Lily Gladstone - Cam Bentland Vritika Gupta - Reena Virk Chloe Guidry - Josephine Bell Javon "Wanna" Walton - Warren Glowatski Izzy G - Kelly Ellard Aiyana Goodfellow - Dusty Pace Ezra Faroque Khan - Manjit Virk Archie Panjabi - Suman Virk Riley Keough - Rebecca Godfrey Recurring Anoop Desai - Raj Masihajjar Matt Craven - Roy Bentland Daniel Diemer - Scott Bentland Jared Ager-Foster - Connor Fields Maya Da Costa - Maya Longette Arta Negahban - Laila Zahrani Isabella Leon - Samara Bailey Lily Gladstone was nominated for best actress at the 2024 Academy Awards for her role in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. She also won a Golden Globe for the role. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Viewers may recognise Riley Keogh from Daisy Jones & the Six as well as Mad Max: Fury Road. She was also part of the cast for Magic Mike - and is the eldest grandchild of Elvis Presley. Archie Panjabi was most recently seen as The Rani in the 2025 series of Doctor Who on the BBC. She was also in Bend It Like Beckham back in the day - as well as other shows like The Good Wife and Life on Mars. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
