If you’re looking for a new crime drama that you genuinely can’t look away from, you’ve come to the right place. ITV is gifting us with just the thing in the form of Under the Bridge, an eight-part Adolescence-esque series that tells the startling true story of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl whose innocent trip to a party in British Columbia, Canada, turned into something nightmares are made of.

You see, Reena never returned home from the party; instead of enjoying her time with friends, she was brutally beaten and murdered. The accused? A group of fellow teenagers. Starring Riley Keough as journalist Rebecca Godfrey who delved into the crime and wrote about it in her book of the same name, and Lily Gladstone as a local police officer investigating the events that led to the tragedy, it’s the sort of series that will stay with you long after you watch it.

With the series due to arrive on ITV and ITVX later this week, here’s everything you need to know about Under the Bridge, include the cast, plot and release date.

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What is Under the Bridge about?

The eight-part crime drama is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book of the same name, which tells the true story of how 14-year-old Reena Virk went to join friends at a party on a quiet island in British Columbia, Canada, in 1997 and never returned home. Seven teenage girls and a boy were accused of her savage murder.

under the bridge “looking glass” episode 101 in 1997, on a quiet island in bc, fourteen year old reena virk attends a party and never returns home. her disappearance intrigues a novelist returning to her hometown, who finds herself drawn into the hidden world of the teen suspects… reena (vritika gupta), shown. (photo by: darko sikman/hulu
Darko Sikman

Journalist Rebecca Godfrey wrote about the crime in her acclaimed 2005 book and the series will tell how Reena’s disappearance intrigued Godfrey (played by Riley Keough), who returned to her hometown, and found herself drawn into the world of the teen suspects. The series will deal with themes including bullying, adolescence, racism and girlhood.

The story is told through the eyes of both Godfrey and local police officer Cam Bentland (Lily Gladstone), with the series taking us into the lives of the young teens accused of the murder and revealing startling truths about the unlikely killers along the way. It's a tough yet eye-opening watch, so do be prepared.

Is Under the Bridge based on a true story?

Sadly, yes – although some of the details are fictional and various names and timelines have been changed. On 14th November 1997, Canadian teenager Reena Virk was beaten and killed by a group of teenagers in Saanich, British Columbia. She was found eight days later in the nearby river.

under the bridge “looking glass” episode 101 in 1997, on a quiet island in bc, fourteen year old reena virk attends a party and never returns home. her disappearance intrigues a novelist returning to her hometown, who finds herself drawn into the hidden world of the teen suspects… josephine (chloe guidry) and cam (lily gladstone), shown. (photo by: darko sikman/hulu)
Darko Sikman

Reena had been bullied throughout her life, and the case garnered substantial media attention. Eight teenagers were tried and convicted in relation to her death. Six teenagers, who were called the “Shoreline Six”, were tried and convicted for assaulting Virk. Two more, Warren Paul Glowatski and Kelly Marie Ellard, were convicted for her murder.

Who's in the cast of Under the Bridge?

under the bridge “the john gotti of seven oaks” episode 102 cam is thrown by a shocking discovery, and the police rush to unravel what really happened under the bridge. josephine makes a deal with rebecca, while a look into the past reveals reena’s first rebellion. rebecca (riley keough), shown. (photo by: darko sikman/hulu)
Darko Sikman

The cast of Under the Bridge includes:

  • Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey
  • Archie Panjabi as Suman Virk
  • Lily Gladstone as Cam Bentland
  • Vritika Gupta as Reena Virk
  • Chloe Guidry as Josephine Bell
  • Javon "Wanna" Walton as Warren Glowatski
  • Izzy G as Kelly Ellard
  • Aiyana Goodfellow as Dusty Pace
  • Ezra Faroque Khan as Manjit Virk
  • Anoop Desai as Raj Masihajjar
  • Matt Craven as Roy Bentland
  • Daniel Diemer as Scott Bentland
  • Jared Ager-Foster as Connor Fields
  • Maya Da Costa as Maya Longette
  • Arta Negahban as Laila Zahrani
  • Isabella Leon as Samara Bailey

Is Under the Bridge any good?

under the bridge “when the heat comes down” episode 105 tensions rise as suspicions surround the teens. rebecca and cam hatch a plan — but an unexpected detour leads rebecca down a strange rabbit hole, resulting in a new bond. raj (anoop desai), rebecca (riley keough), manjit (ezra faroque khan) and suman (archie panjabi), shown. (photo by: darko sikman/hulu)
Darko Sikman

Yes, when Under the Bridge aired in Canada on Disney+ last year, it received rave reviews, with viewers and critics calling it “phenomenal”, “a remarkable true crime series” and a “must-watch”. If you're looking for a series you genuinely can't stop watching -think Netflix's Adolescence, but even more harrowing - this is it.

Is there a trailer for Under the Bridge?

Yes, and from the looks of things, we're in for quite the gripping watch. You can watch the trailer for Under the Bridge below.

How can I watch Under the Bridge?

Good news - there's just days to wait until Under the Bridge arrives on our screens. The series begins on Friday 25th July at 9pm on ITV1. It will also be available to stream on ITVX.