In 1997, 14-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.
"The John Gotti of Seven Oaks" was written by Ashley Cardiff and directed by Kevin Phillips
Rebecca Godfrey returns to her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia after a decade away. She does so with the intention of writing a book. She's interested in the girls living at a group home. She's aware of the tragic underbelly of this seemingly idyllic community. She quickly becomes embroiled in a homicide investigation. It's all a little too convenient. She escaped this place after her brother was killed. His memory still haunts her family. Many in town still remember him. Rebecca isn't willing to share the details of that story yet. Instead, the narrative shifts to the next generation. Everything feels so familiar to Rebecca. Teenagers are partying in the same locations. They get into trouble while trying to get home before curfew. They have places to go if they miss that deadline. It's all miserable. They have aspirations in life. No one really sees them and believes they are worthy of more than what they are now. Rebecca knows how to make herself present a certain way in order to get what she wants. However, she too is hit with the reality of just how much she wants to get involved in this investigation.
Rebecca Godfrey returns to her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia after a decade away. She does so with the intention of writing a book. She's interested in the girls living at a group home. She's aware of the tragic underbelly of this seemingly idyllic community. She quickly becomes embroiled in a homicide investigation. It's all a little too convenient. She escaped this place after her brother was killed. His memory still haunts her family. Many in town still remember him. Rebecca isn't willing to share the details of that story yet. Instead, the narrative shifts to the next generation. Everything feels so familiar to Rebecca. Teenagers are partying in the same locations. They get into trouble while trying to get home before curfew. They have places to go if they miss that deadline. It's all miserable. They have aspirations in life. No one really sees them and believes they are worthy of more than what they are now. Rebecca knows how to make herself present a certain way in order to get what she wants. However, she too is hit with the reality of just how much she wants to get involved in this investigation.
Rebecca is a writer who stumbles upon a complicated story happening in real time. She is an active part of the investigation. She reaches out to Josephine and Dusty at the group home before they are brought in for questioning in Reena's disappearance. The whole narrative is shaped around people confronting their misconceptions of teenage girls. The opening voiceover highlights how they aren't always what the community must protect. Sometimes the community has to be protected from them. Jo has mafia aspirations. John Gotti is her idol. She wants to escape to New York to be a part of his criminal enterprise. She is a rebel looking to inflict harm onto others. She doesn't genuinely view Reena as a friend. She just sees the importance of inviting foot soldiers into her organization. She no longer has to be the one stealing items from stores. That job falls to her underlings. To rise in power, she has to place people beneath her. She has to make an example when someone goes against her. That's the only way to immediately gain respect.
Reena seeks out the girls at Seven Oaks. She doesn't live there. She has a family. She too rebels against their rules and beliefs. Her mother is religious. She is devoted to her service as a Jehovah's Witness. She's ashamed of her daughter's attachment to material things. She doesn't want Reena to feel special just because it's her birthday. It's not deserving of a celebration. That changes Reena's expectations. However, she also just wants to fit in. She pushes back because her mother makes her feel like an outsider. Suman doesn't want her daughter to fall prey to the temptations all around them. And yet, the family has endured a lot of trauma. That only continues following Reena's disappearance. Gossip quickly travels about her body being in the river. Cam doesn't find it when she calls in the divers. The only clue she unearths is Reena's underwear. That too is a striking development. It makes people question what happened under the bridge. The police have video surveillance detailing all who were involved. Yet it's even more haunting when Reena also emerges still alive afterwards.
Reena was assaulted under the bridge. Jo shares that story to Rebecca under the belief it will lead her to New York. Rebecca knows it's not something she should actually do. However, she's trying her best to get close to the teenage girl providing so much depth and information into what's currently happening in this community. One moment it seems like Jo and Reena are friends. And then, everything shifts. Reena projects her insecurities. That makes her vulnerable to someone like Jo who is eager to manipulate others to her advantage. Everyone essentially takes their orders from her. Everyone attacks because Jo leads the charge. Many don't even realize the extent of the damage. Dusty is horrified upon learning the truth. She was fully expecting Reena to be fine. She was left behind but was still alive. Meanwhile, Jo reveals that she waited to deliver the fatal blow. Reena escaped but it was only false hope. Everyone's suspicions about what happened that night were correct. Reena was murdered. The location wasn't where everyone expected. The truth is still brutally the same. The police eventually recover Reena's body. They can no longer deny the severity of this crime.
Everyone also wants to profess the bucolic nature of Victoria. It's not a place any reasonable person would want to leave. And yet, that mentality is expressed by those who only wish to see the beauty. They train themselves to ignore the pain and the trauma. The Godfrey family suffered a tragedy. Rebecca's parents stayed. They have questions about the past. The grief hasn't entirely moved past them. They still struggle. Rebecca escaped Victoria. She could never let go of the memories. They were all-consuming. That's why she returned determined to finally write down the story of her hometown. She discovered something much more brutal and immediate as a result. However, she too is being deceived. Jo is just as surprised as everyone that Reena's body was actually in the river. She proudly declared himself a killer. That was nothing more than a fantasy of the mafia life. It's what she aspires for even though it didn't actually happen. She knows enough that it's clear she's involved somehow. Rebecca reaches out to Cam for help. She is the only person who can help her process this story. But Cam is also coming to her own conclusion in the case. It's impossible to go from the bridge to Seven Oaks before curfew on the night of the murder. That complicates everything and shows just how deceitful these teenagers have truly been for awhile. Even those who know how broken the system is are still surprised by the depth of the latest tragedy.
