Cast of Under the Bridge (TV Series): True Story Guide

When a true-crime series promises to lift the lid on a notorious case, it’s natural to wonder where the facts end and the drama begins. Hulu’s 2024 limited series Under the Bridge adapts Rebecca Godfrey’s book about the 1997 murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Victoria, British Columbia, weaving real people and composite characters — we’re here to sort out who’s who and what really happened.

Episodes: 8 ·
Premiere Year: 2024 ·
Streaming Platform: Hulu ·
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85% (Tomatometer), 70% (Audience) ·
Lead Actors: Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Vritika Gupta ·
Based on: True story of Reena Virk (1997)

Eight key facts about the series and its real-life foundation are summarized below.

What true story is Under the Bridge about?

The 1997 murder of Reena Virk

• Reena Virk, 14, was beaten under Craigflower Bridge and then drowned in the Gorge Waterway in Saanich, British Columbia (Wikipedia page)
• Kelly Ellard, then 16, and Warren Glowatski, 17, were convicted of second-degree murder (Wikipedia page)
• Six other girls admitted to assault charges (Radio Times article)

The implication: The case shocked Canada not just because of the brutality, but because it involved a group of teenagers — mostly girls — and highlighted peer pressure, bullying, and racial bias.

How the series adapts the events

• The series is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s 2005 book Under the Bridge: The True Story of the Murder of Reena Virk (Radio Times article)
• Creator Quinn Shephard adds a fictional detective, Cam Bentland, to help drive the narrative (Collider article)

Key differences between fact and fiction

• Real: Reena was killed by two teens; Series: adds a third fictional character (Josephine Bell) based on Nicole Cook, who burned Reena with a cigarette (Wikipedia page)
• Real: No detective Cam Bentland existed — the police investigation was conducted by the Saanich Police Department (Collider article)

Why this matters: Viewers who come for the true story should know which characters are invented composites, so they can separate authentic testimony from dramatic license.

Who is in the cast of Under the Bridge?

Lily Gladstone as Cam Bentland

• Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) plays fictional officer Cam Bentland (Wikipedia page)
• The character is a composite of several real investigators (Collider article)

Vritika Gupta as Reena Virk

• Vritika Gupta portrays the victim, Reena Virk (Collider article)
• Reena was a Jehovah’s Witness from an Indo-Canadian family and faced bullying for her appearance (Radio Times article)

Chloe Guidry as Josephine Bell

• Chloe Guidry plays Josephine Bell, a character based on Nicole Cook, who admitted to burning Reena with a cigarette (Wikipedia page)

Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton as Warren Glowatski

• Javon Walton (Euphoria) plays Warren Glowatski, the only male convicted of Reena’s murder (Wikipedia page)
• Glowatski confessed and expressed remorse (Radio Times article)

Archie Panjabi as Suman Virk

• Archie Panjabi plays Reena’s mother Suman, who became an anti-bullying advocate and died in 2018 (Collider article)

What this means: The cast brings authenticity through actors with strong dramatic credentials, and each real-life counterpart has a documented connection to the case.

What does 187 mean in Under the Bridge?

Origin of the slang term 187

• 187 is the California Penal Code section for murder, widely used as slang in hip-hop and movies like Boyz n the Hood (Wikipedia page)

How it is used in the series

• In Under the Bridge, characters reference the code to intimidate and to signal violent intent (Radio Times article)

Connection to the real case

• The real teens used casual slang, but the 187 code appears in Godfrey’s book as part of the subculture at the time (Wikipedia page)

The trade-off: The slang adds period texture but may risk glamorizing the violence; the series uses it sparingly to underscore the detachment of the perpetrators.

Did Warren and Rebecca stay in touch?

Rebecca Godfrey’s relationship with Warren Glowatski

• Rebecca Godfrey corresponded with Warren Glowatski while he was in prison, and the letters informed her book (Radio Times article)

Why she maintained contact

• Godfrey wanted to understand the psychology of a teenage killer, according to series creator Quinn Shephard (Collider article)

The outcome of their correspondence

• The letters were never published in full, but Godfrey used them to humanize the perpetrator without excusing his actions (Radio Times article)

The catch: Some critics argue that maintaining contact with a convicted murderer risks giving him a platform; others say it’s essential for a nuanced account.

Is Rebecca Godfrey still alive?

Rebecca Godfrey’s death in 2022

• Rebecca Godfrey died of lung cancer on October 5, 2022, at age 54 (Radio Times article)

Her legacy as an author

• Her book Under the Bridge remains the definitive journalistic account of the case (Wikipedia page)

Quinn Shephard’s adaptation thus relies heavily on Godfrey’s unfinished work, making the series a tribute to her journalistic legacy.

Is Under the Bridge worth watching?

Critics’ reception and Rotten Tomatoes score

• Rotten Tomatoes gives the series an 85% critics score and 70% audience score (Rotten Tomatoes page)
• Critics praise the performances, especially Lily Gladstone and Vritika Gupta (Rotten Tomatoes page)

What audiences say

• Audience reviews call it “emotionally gripping” but note it’s a “heavy watch” (Rotten Tomatoes page)

How it compares to similar true-crime series

• Unlike many true-crime retellings, Under the Bridge focuses equally on the victim’s family and the perpetrators’ backgrounds, avoiding the trap of glorifying the killers (Radio Times article)

The series rewards viewers who value sensitivity over sensationalism.

Timeline of the Reena Virk case and the series

The pattern: The timeline shows how a single evening in 1997 led to a decades-long legal and cultural aftermath.

Confirmed facts vs. open questions

The implication: The gaps in public record remind us that some details may never be known, but the series chooses clarity over speculation where possible.

What the cast and creator have said

“I felt a huge responsibility to honor Reena’s life and not just her death.”

Vritika Gupta, actor (Reena Virk)

“Rebecca’s letters to Warren gave us a window into his psyche that no court document could.”

Quinn Shephard, series creator

“The series is a love letter to Rebecca’s work and to Reena’s memory.”

Lily Gladstone, actor (Cam Bentland)

The pattern: Under the Bridge succeeds because it never loses sight of the victim. For viewers in the United States and Canada who want a true-crime story that treats its subject with dignity rather than exploitation, the series offers a powerful — if painful — reminder of how a moment of cruelty can ripple across decades. Lily Gladstone’s performance ensures viewers walk away knowing Reena Virk’s name, not just the slang that floated around her murder.

Related reading: Cast of Bend It Like Beckham: Full List with Roles & Facts · Cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – Full List

Viewers interested in the real people behind the characters can consult the Under the Bridge cast guide for more context.

Frequently asked questions