In her directorial debut, Lila Neugebauer’s Causeway follows one American soldier as he attempts to transition to civilian life following a traumatic brain injury sustained in Afghanistan. The movie, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, tackles heavy topics including mental health and trauma recovery. On the eve of its November 4 theatrical release and AppleTV+ debut, fresh pictures have been published by DiscussingFilm, featuring Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and Emmy nominee Brian Tyree Henry as they examine their own physical and psychological traumas. Causeway stars Jennifer Lawrence as Lynsey, a US soldier who suffers a concussion while serving in Afghanistan and returns home to New Orleans.
Lynsey, a former member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, must now fight a different kind of warfare upon her return from the front lines: the conflict with her own mother, who was inattentive in her parenting, and her own personal demons. After sustaining a brain injury that left her unable to fully care for herself, Lynsey sinks into a deep depression throughout her recovery and loses sight of her goal of returning to the military. As fate would have it, she would meet James (Tyree Henry), and the two would unknowingly form a strong connection through their shared histories of pain.
Causeway’s friendship demonstrates that it’s simpler to empathise with another person’s hardships than with one’s own, but that both friends benefit from the other’s company. These new photos showcase the stunning visuals that the film’s cinematographer, Diego Garca, was able to capture (Wildlife). Causeway takes place in New Orleans, and the city’s importance to the plot is hinted at throughout the film. Lawrence’s heroine is motivated to return to the risky yet structured life of the army by the thought of returning to this place and seeing her mother again. Similarly, we see a tense Henry in a pub, where he and Lynsey are probably sharing a passionate moment.
The pictures reveal little about the plot, but they do show the chemistry between the film’s two leads and a tense exchange between director Rupert Neugebauer and star Jennifer Lawrence. After starring in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up for Netflix alongside Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio, this is Lawrence’s second picture since X-Men: Dark Phoenix. The Hunger Games star, who has been nominated for an Oscar four times, won for her performance as the title character in David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook adaption.
Two-time Emmy nominated Henry’s breakout role as Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles on Donald Glover’s Atlanta series on Hulu made him a household name.
After a number of lesser appearances for major programmes like Boardwalk Empire, How to Get Away with Murder and This Is Us, Henry has shown some real acting abilities as his career has evolved. Recently, he has made his way into prominent parts in feature films with his portrayals of Phastos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Eternals and Lemon in David Leitch’s Bullet Train, starring opposite Brad Pitt. Causeway is adapted from a novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, written by Moshfegh, Luke Goebel, and Elizabeth Sanders. Director Neugebauer also has executive producer positions at IAC Films and A24, in addition to Lawrence’s Excellent Cadaver.
On November 4, Causeway will debut in cinemas and on Apple TV+.