10 Biggest Details Hulu’s Under The Bridge Leaves Out From The Real Reena Virk Case

Under the Bridge leaves out many big details from the Reena Virk case while dramatizing the story for the small screen. The Hulu miniseries uses Rebecca Godfrey’s Under the Bridge and Manjit Virk’s Reena: A Father’s Story in order to depict the real-life murder of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old Canadian Indian girl. Under the Bridge keeps most major details accurate, but like every dramatization, the show also takes creative liberties.

Hulu’s miniseries changed some parts of the Reena Virk case, creating a more concise story that focuses on emphasizing emotional truths. For the same reasons, the show also leaves out parts of the story. It would simply be impossible for Under the Bridge to cover every moment of the real-life story. However, some omissions have much bigger implications than others.

All facts outlined in this article come from Rebecca Godfrey’s
Under the Bridge
unless otherwise stated.

10 Under the Bridge Leaves Out Two Of The Shoreline Six

The Shoreline Six Includes Eve And Willow

In the Hulu miniseries, Under the Bridge’s Shoreline Six are Josephine, Dusty, Maya, Laila, Kelly, and Warren. The killers are considered part of the group. However, in real life, Reena Virk’s two killers weren’t considered part of the Shoreline Six. On top of the four who appear in the Hulu miniseries, there were two other attackers named Willow and Eve.

Willow was the best friend of Maya who consumed cannabis on a regular basis. During the fight, she notably tripped Reena when the teen tried to leave. In the adult section of Godfrey’s book, it’s revealed that Willow died from a heart arrhythmia. Eve, on the other hand, was barely involved in the attack on Reena, only hitting her twice. The book includes barely any information on her besides the fact that she was considered attractive, didn’t get in trouble often, and didn’t know Reena.

9 Under the Bridge Excludes The Teens Who Came Forward

Four Major Teens Came Forward About Reena Virk’s Murder

While overall good, Hulu’s Under the Bridge’s biggest weakness is the fact that they insert Rebecca Godfrey into the story in place of other real-life people. Multiple teenagers discovered information about Reena Virk’s murder and came forward to the police. Under the Bridge replaced the characters of Nadja and Anya with Rebecca. In real life, these two brave teenagers said something after learning about Reena’s murder. They were the ones to go under the bridge with Josephine to find out the details. The sisters were even the people who suggested that the police search in the water.

Another teen named Jodene Rogers came forward about Kelly Ellard, relaying the information to the police. Lastly, a jailhouse informant named Lily reported what Kelly told her in jail about killing Reena despite the choice risking her safety and the police defining her by her addiction. While juggling the characters would have been difficult, Hulu’s Under the Bridge does the teens a disservice by leaving out the brave teens who came forward despite the pressure to stay quiet. Instead, Hulu’s miniseries presents the teenage community as a monolith willing to protect each other at the expense of justice for Reena.

8 Reena Dated Dusty’s Ex-Boyfriend

Reena’s Relationship With Jack Influenced Dusty’s Involvement In The Attack

According to the actress Aiyana Goodfellow, who plays the Under the Bridge character, Dusty Pace is an amalgamation of multiple people from the true story (via The Wrap). However, it’s reasonable to believe that many aspects of the character were taken from the character of the same character in Rebecca Godfrey’s book. One of the biggest things left out, though, is the fact that the book’s Dusty willingly partook in the attack on Reena Virk because she was angry at Reena. Reena had started dating Dusty’s ex-boyfriend, Jack Batley.

The teen flung herself on the floor when she learned about her ex moving on, then she turned hostile. Dusty later denied to Rebecca Godfrey that she attacked Reena because of Jack. Missy Pleich, the individual believed to be the real Dusty, admitted on MSNBC’s Bloodlust Under the Bridge that the boyfriend situation was a factor in her inviting Reena to the party to be physically assaulted.

7 Kelly Ellard Was Referred For A School Transfer

Kelly’s School Record Shows A Disturbing Pattern Of Violence

Under the Bridge minimized details from the book that would seem inconsequential to the attack and murder of Reena, likely because they had to cover such a large story in only eight episodes. As such, the writers left out the fact that Kelly was sent to the guidance counselor for a school transfer. At face value, this detail isn’t that important, but the reason for the referral is important to the story. Despite trying to appear innocent, Kelly displayed hostility and aggression prior to the attack on Reena.

Kelly was confrontational and explosive towards her teachers. She previously got suspended from school for punching people. The issue became bad enough that the school was transferring her. This displays a disturbing pattern of violence coming from Kelly Ellard, a teen with privilege and a positive support system. Her school record makes her initial sentence of a five-year minimum all the more frustrating. Even though the judge painted her to be someone with a pristine record, Kelly’s violence wasn’t an isolated event.

6 The Police Continued Interrogating Warren After He Asked For A Lawyer

The Police Allegedly Didn’t Uphold Warren Glowatski’s Basic Rights

The fictional police officer Cam Bentland played a major role in Under the Bridge, allowing the writers to explore some of the systemic issues and police failures that influenced the Reena Virk murder case. Despite this, the Hulu miniseries left out some of the more egregious actions by the police. According to Rebecca Godfrey’s book, officers continued to interrogate Warren Glowatski after he asked for a lawyer, violating his basic rights.

Officers Bond and Brown even acknowledged his request. Section 10(b) of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the decision of R. V. Manninen dictate that the police should stop questioning a citizen after they’ve requested their legal representation. Since Manninen was decided in 1987, this should have been in effect at the time of Reena’s murder. Just because Warren Glowatski was eventually convicted of the second-degree murder of Reena Virk doesn’t mean his civil liberties can be frivolously ignored.

5 Maya Revealed To The Police That Kelly Ellard And Warren Glowatski Followed

Maya And Laila Only Briefly Appear In Under The Bridge

Hulu’s Under the Bridge chooses to feature Warren, Kelly, Josephine, and Dusty more than the other perpetrators. While this simplifies the narrative, it means that important moments of the case related to the rest of the Shoreline Six were ignored. Under the Bridge leaves out the police’s interview with Maya, which was a turning point for the investigation. Though she was uncertain at first, Maya was honest with the police about what happened during the physical assault.

The police received permission to make arrests, rather than just investigate.

When telling them about her and Willow leaving, she informs the officers that two people followed Reena Virk across the bridge – Warren Glowatski and Kelly Ellard. This was the break in the case that they needed because, rather than hearsay, Maya’s statement offered firsthand confirmation of every teen involved in the attack and the two who eventually killed Reena Virk. After interviewing Maya, the police received permission to make arrests, rather than just investigate.

4 Syreeta Testified At Warren’s Trial

Syreeta’s Testimony Helped The Case Against Warren Glowatski

Besides Reena Virk’s murder and the impact on her family, one of the most heartbreaking parts of Rebecca Godfrey’s Under the Bridge is the lead-up to and the aftermath of Syreeta testifying at Warren Glowatski’s trial. This young teenage girl was unfathomably affected by the horrifying choice of her boyfriend and first love. She left the night of Reena’s murder because she felt sick, but she still got roped into the situation afterward due to her relationship. Godfrey’s book points to Syreeta feeling extremely emotionally distressed and conflicted.

Ultimately, Syreeta testifying on the stand had a pivotal role in the case against Warren. However, Hulu’s Under the Bridge chose to exclude Samara – the equivocal character to Syreeta – from the court case. This allowed the narrative to focus on Warren’s testimony instead. The exclusion of this moment also allowed the writers to paint the police in a slightly better way, because they could also leave out the three separate interrogations and the questionable tactics used by the investigators, all of which are outlined in Godfrey’s book.

3 The Press Tore Syreeta To Shreds After The Trial

The Youth Criminal Justice Act Didn’t Protect Syreeta’s Name

One aspect of the Reena Virk case that isn’t touched upon at all in Hulu’s Under the Bridge is the press coverage, an ironic oversight considering the real Rebecca Godfrey took on an assignment as a reporter for a women’s magazine in order to get access to the teens involved in the case (via The Believer). The only real depiction of the press is the scene where reporters hound Kelly Ellard as she’s getting out of a car during her trial. In reality, there was a significant amount of press coverage of the Reena Virk case, and the reporters were particularly unkind to Syreeta.

According to Godfrey’s book, articles called her “a bold liar” and accused her of having “an apparent indifference to Virk’s murder.” One reporter even drew parallels between Syreeta and the Columbine shooters, an absurd and highly offensive comparison. Sadly, all of this was allowed because the names of the Shoreline Six were all protected by the law, but hers wasn’t. It’s infuriating to see that the media pointed the finger at a teenager who wasn’t even present when Reena Virk was attacked.

2 Under the Bridge Leaves Out Maya’s Backstory

Maya’s Backstory Points To The Cyclical Nature Of Violence And Trauma

Hulu’s Under the Bridge goes a long way to paint the attackers of Reena Virk’s murder as morally complex individuals who were both victims of systems and perpetrators of violence. The show offers one of the most nuanced examinations of murder that has appeared in true crime TV shows. However, the show misses the mark by leaving out the discussion of mental health and cyclical trauma that could have been explored if they included Maya’s backstory.

At the age of six, Maya saw her father murdered in a brutal way, and then she was kidnapped by his murderers. Because she wasn’t afforded the resources necessary to cope with this trauma, she became caught in the cycle of violence and abuse. Her background isn’t an excuse, because there is no excuse for the attack on Reena. However, it is certainly a mitigating factor that could provide insight into the factors that contribute to teen violence, an issue that Suman and Manjit Virk spent years speaking about after their daughter’s death.

1 Warren, Suman, and Manjit Went Through A Restorative Justice Program Together

Manjit And Suman Virk Forgave Warren Glowatski

Due to the chronology of Under the Bridge’s ending, the show leaves out one of the few positive takeaways from the horrific crime. After Warren’s Under the Bridge trial, the teen went to prison, where he became involved in a restorative justice program. Restorative justice is based on non-Western principles and focuses on bringing together the perpetrator and victims to heal from a crime. Warren asked Suman and Manjit Virk to meet him through the program, and they eventually agreed. After working together, the Virks offered their forgiveness to Warren Glowatski. They even went to his parole hearing.

In an act of pure mercy, the pair told the board that they didn’t want to stop him from getting out

As Reena’s parents, the Virks could offer a victim impact statement. In an act of pure mercy, the pair told the board that they didn’t want to stop him from getting out. While it will never bring back Reena, Warren Glowatski’s dedication to changing and healing with the Virks points to the idea that people can continue to grow and evolve over time. Despite leaving out the program they went through, Under the Bridge does include a beautiful but hard-to-watch moment where Suman Virk meets Warren and offers him forgiveness, showing the same mercy as the real Virks.

Did Removing These Details Hurt The Quality Of Under The Bridge?

Accuracy in stories based on true crime is always important, and failing to depict an accurate version of events has been the downfall of many movies and TV shows in the genre. However, while Under the Bridge omits multiple facts from the true story of Reena Virk, this didn’t end up being a hindrance to its success, or the overall quality of the miniseries.

Under the Bridge currently sits at an admirable 86% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audience ratings slightly behind at 76%. The inaccuracies and omissions have been noted too, by both professional reviewers and otherwise, so it’s not a case that the praise ignores the problems. However, there’s consensus that Under the Bridge gets the most important aspect of the true story right — its depiction of violence and cruelty.

While it may not always capture the factual truth, Under the Bridge excels at capturing the emotional one. It’s depiction of the events doesn’t pull any punches, and manages to capture the thematic essence of Rebecca Godfrey’s book and what happened to Reena Virk. This is, of course, a much harder task than simply recreating events for the screen.

What’s more, inaccuracy through omission is much less of a True Crime sin than inaccuracy via fictionalization. Under the Bridge doesn’t necessarily change or alter events to fit a specific narrative or thematic message. The miniseries doesn’t portray every aspect of the Reena Virk case, but that’s simply due to the miniseries not having enough screentime to cover literally every corner of the tapestry of paranoia and cruelty. However, what it has to sacrifice in thoroughness it makes up for in emotional realism, which is why the missing details in Under the Bridge ultimately can’t be said to have harmed it.

Sources: Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey, The Wrap, MSNBC’s Bloodlust Under the Bridge, The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, R. V. Manninen, and The Believer