Under the Bridge parents guide: Hulu's true crime series is off to a good start, but only for adults

Under the Bridge is on its way to becoming one of the most popular shows of the spring. The true crime series created by Quinn Shephard had its two-episode premiere on Hulu on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. New episodes are dropping on Hulu weekly through the season finale on May 29. 

The series is based on Rebecca Godfrey’s book of the same name and the true story of the murder of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old girl who was killed in Saanich, British Columbia in 1997, and the investigation into several individuals who could be responsible for the crime. 

Riley Keough stars in the series as Rebecca Godfrey, the author of the book the series is based on, while Lily Gladstone, of Killers of the Flower Moon, stars as Cam Bentland, the police detective at the center of the investigation. Vritika Gupta, Javon Walton, Chloe Guidry, Archie Panjabi, Izzy G, Aiyana Goodfellow, and Ezra Faroque Khan round out the rest of the main cast. 

The series begins with Reena’s disappearance after she was attacked “under the bridge” by a group of teens. While the police hesitate to proceed with the missing persons investigation, rumors about what happened that night spread through the small town. When Reena's body is found, the investigation leads back to a small group of teens, but did they really kill Reena?

I have only good things to say about this series! Keough and Gladstone are incredible and should be up for more than a few awards for their roles in the series. But, it’s also devastating. As mentioned, this is based on a true story of a gruesome murder, so I definitely think it’s worthwhile for parents to take a more in-depth look before deciding if this is the show they want to watch with their kids or allow their kids to watch alone or with friends. 

Under the Bridge parents guide: Explaining the TV-MA age rating

Under the Bridge is obviously a TV-MA series, but it might not be for the reasons you think.

Sex & Nudity: None! So far, the only romance of any kind is some hand-holding, hugging, and light kissing from the teen characters in the series. There is some major tension between Cam and Rebecca. They’re adults now, but it appears they have a romantic past. 

I’ll note that I’ve only seen the first two episodes of Under the Bridge. If there is sex and nudity in future episodes of the season, we’ll be sure to update. 

Violence: For a show about a teen who was murdered, there’s been almost no violence in the early episodes. Everything revolves around Reena’s disappearance, but in the flashbacks from the night in question, we don’t see the crime happening.  

Reena is invited to a party by Josephine. When she arrives, Josephine’s teen gang, “C.M.C” (Crip Mafia Cartel), jumps Reena. She flees, but they eventually catch her and lead her “under the bridge.” We don’t actually see what happens, but it’s described in detail by Josephine days later. She reveals to Rebecca that they put a cigarette out on Reena’s forehead, kicked her, broke her teeth, and then knocked her out. She also admits to pushing Reena from the bridge later. How this crime is discussed is disturbing and probably unsettling for most viewers. 

Again, we may see more violence in later episodes, but so far, it’s one the tamer side compared to other true crime series. 

Language: The cursing isn’t too bad in Under the Bridge. They aren’t swearing like sailors, but it’s present throughout the series. Aside from the show's premise, I suspect this is one of the main reasons the series is rated TV-MA. The characters speak, in my opinion, how most kids and teens talk in TV shows with a TV-MA rating. 

I should also point out that there is racist language used in the series. I don’t recall hearing racial slurs, but there are derogatory phrases and descriptions. One of the main characters, Reena, is Indian. Early in the series, some of the other characters use racial insults to bully her. 

Drinking & Drugs: The teens in the series are often depicted using drugs and alcohol in Under the Bridge. Mostly, the scenes take place at high school parties where the characters are drinking and smoking marijuana. I know a lot of parents also want to know about smoking cigarettes. I don’t have a cigarette counter going, but someone is smoking a cigarette in basically every other scene with the teen characters. 

Overall Verdict: What age is Under the Bridge appropriate for?

This is a tough question. I’ve gone back and forth on what age I’d be comfortable letting my kids watch this show. They’re 4 years old, so luckily, I don’t have to worry about it anytime soon. They only like Bluey these days, anyway. 

Of course, it comes down to life experiences, what other movies and shows they’ve seen before, and if they’re comfortable with true crime and stories based on real people. I’d be comfortable allowing most kids over 13 to watch the series, especially if parents were there to walk them through some of the more challenging moments and mature themes. It’s a real story of the gruesome murder of a teenager, so inherently, there are going to be many disturbing elements.

Compared to other shows about teens who have been killed, it’s relatively safe to watch with teenagers. There’s no sex and nudity. There are references to what happened to the person who was killed, but that hasn’t been shown. When they find the body, it’s filmed from a long way off, so you can’t see anything.