Each episode of Hulu’s newest true crime adaptation Under the Bridge begins with a disclaimer: “Based on actual events. Certain elements have been fictionalized or invented for dramatic purposes.” While that may seem obvious, it’s an important reminder for audiences who crave such stories of violence, crime and inhumanity. There’s plenty to be said about contemporary culture’s obsession with the true crime genre, how horrific events are neatly packaged for our entertainment via star-studded series or slickly edited documentaries, and Under the Bridge confronts that construction head on.

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The series comes from the late Rebecca Godfrey’s book of the same name, which focuses on the horrific murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk on November 14, 1997 in Saanich, British Columbia. The perpetrators were a group of teens, several of whom Reena thought were her friends; they brutally beat her, but it wasn’t until later that two members of the group went to finish her off. The details of the case are easy to find, and thankfully the show isn’t interested in rehashing every moment like it’s a prolonged murder mystery (for the most part, anyway).

Rather, Under the Bridge situates its story among a large cast of characters. There is, of course, Reena (Vritika Gupta), a middle schooler who feels hopelessly lonely thanks to her Indian cultural heritage........

© Observer