This article contains discussions of violence and murder.

Summary

• Hulu's Under the Bridge tells the fictionalized version of a gruesome real-life murder.
• The new show is reminiscent of Andrew Garfield's Under the Banner of Heaven, which also tackles a tragic true story.
• Hulu's success with true crime dramas and documentaries means more series like Under the Bridge are likely.

Hulu's new crime drama, Under the Bridge, tells a fictionalized version of a real-life murder story, and it's a sad reminder to watch Andrew Garfield's critically acclaimed series from two years ago. Under the Bridge revolves around the killing of 14-year-old Reena Verk, who fell victim to two teenagers on her way home from a party in Saanich, Canada. Verk had already undergone a beating from a group of peers before two of them attacked and drowned her under a bridge. Verk's disappearance — and the later discovery of her body — sparked a full-scale investigation and murder trials for the killers.

Under the Bridge recounts this gruesome story, which was originally covered in Rebecca Godfrey's novel of the same name. The Hulu series changes several names, but the characters in Under the Bridge are mostly based on real people. The miniseries unravels Verk's disappearance and everything that follows. Given Hulu's success with true crime documentaries and similar shows, it's no surprise the streamer chose to take on this particular narrative. And anyone looking for something similar to Under the Bridge can find another harrowing true story in Garfield's Hulu 2022 series.

Hulu's Under The Banner Of Heaven Is Another Heartbreaking True Crime Drama Like Under The Bridge

It Fictionalizes Another Tragic True Story Covered In A Book First

Hulu's Under the Bridge feels reminiscent of Under the Banner of Heaven, a series that debuted on the streamer two years ago and took on a similarly tragic true story. Also based on a book — this one written by John Krakauer — Under the Banner of Heaven tells a fictionalized version of the real-life murders of Brenda Laffery and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica (via Radio Times). Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre, who is assigned to the case and forced to face some uncomfortable truths about his community and his faith.

Hulu's Under the Bridge feels reminiscent of Under the Banner of Heaven, a series that debuted on the streamer two years ago and took on a similarly tragic true story.

Brenda and her daughter were killed by her brothers-in-law, Dan and Ron Lafferty, both of whom were excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). The pair insisted that God had ordered them to commit the murders, and Under the Banner tells this sinister story primarily from the perspective of Garfield's character. It's a harrowing look at a real-life tragedy, much like Under the Bridge. And both continue a trend for Hulu, which means more projects like them are probably inevitable.

Under The Bridge & Under The Banner Of Heaven Both Continue Hulu's True Crime Rotten Tomatoes Streak

More Series Like These Seem Inevitable

Hulu has seen a lot of success with true crime dramas like Under the Bridge and Under the Banner of Heaven, both of which continue a positive Rotten Tomatoes streak for the streamer. Under the Bridge currently holds an 85% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, while Under the Banner of Heaven has an 86% rating. Shows like The Dropout, The Girl From Plainville, and Candy all have "fresh" critic scores as well. In fact, The Dropout and The Girl From Plainville even land in the 90% and up category.

This isn't all that surprising, as the true crime genre in general has seen an increasing amount of interest in recent years. True crime podcasts, books, and TV shows are attempting to capitalize on that trend, and Hulu's dramas prove that the approach is working. It's difficult to watch such harrowing stories unfold on-screen, but it seems inevitable that Hulu will release more series like Under the Bridge. As long as these shows keep getting the attention and acclaim they currently are, Hulu is likely to keep making them.

Source: Radio Times, Rotten Tomatoes