Lynsey, a soldier in theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers, experiences a traumatic brain injury after anIED explosion during her tour in theAfghanistan War. Her motor functions severely hampered, she undergoesphysical therapy and is eventually forced to return home toNew Orleans.[4] She struggles to return to her daily life with her mother as she waits for her wish to return for redeployment. Her doctor is reluctant to sign her waiver to return as he feels that trauma is a strong link to her depression. As she improves with rehabilitation, she becomes unlikely friends with James, an auto mechanic, and reveals to him that she is alesbian.[5] James has physical and mental trauma after a car crash in which his nephew was killed on theLake Pontchartrain Causeway.
Production began in the summer of 2019 in New Orleans, but was delayed due toHurricane Barry. Production restarted in March 2020, but was once again delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and was completed in the summer of 2021.[8] Lawrence and Henry continued to workshop the script together during the pandemic as a result of their chemistry and to further enrich it as their scenes were seen as the most compelling of the film.[2]
In April 2021, following allegations of abuse,Scott Rudin stepped back as a producer from the project.[9] On December 30, 2021, theWGA awarded final screenplay credit for the film to both Sanders and the team ofOttessa Moshfegh and Luke Goebel.[10]
In July 2022, it was announced Apple TV+ would distribute the film.[11][12] The film had its world premiere at the2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022.[13] The European premiere was held on October 8, 2022, at theBFI London Film Festival.[14] It had a limited theatrical release on October 28, 2022,[15] and was released on Apple TV+ on November 4, 2022.[16]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 85% of 168 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Causeway takes a powerfully subdued look at the lingering effects of trauma, led by gripping performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry."[17]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[18]
Wendy Ide ofThe Observer awarded 4 stars out of 5, praised the film and wrote " this is a subdued, sensitive drama and Lawrence is phenomenal, giving the kind of wary, reined-in performance that made such a compelling impression in her breakthrough film,Winter’s Bone."[19] In a B+ review forConsequence, Mary Siroky wrote: "while one of the few downsides ofCauseway is the lingering desire to spend more time with these characters, the film holds an excellent return to form for Jennifer Lawrence and makes a stellar case for many more leading man roles for Brian Tyree Henry," further praising Lawrence's performance as "gripping" in comparison to her work inWinter's Bone and that Henry "is so grounded here that there are moments we feel like we are intruding into his life."[20]Anna Smith forTime Out gave it 4 out of 5 stars review and wrote: "both actors are terrific: Lawrence is understated and compelling while Henry is by turns sympathetic, amusing and heartbreaking...Causeway will offer plenty for fans of thoughtful, quality dramas that touch on humanity, trauma, connection and the kindness of strangers."[21]
In a review forThe Austin Chronicle, Jenny Nulf wrote: "Watching Jennifer Lawrence in a film that allows her to showcase her skills at full force after so many years without her is a welcome reminder that she’s one of our greatest living actresses [...] Lawrence and Henry do an incredible job at dancing around each other, soft smiles to communicate their pain and hardships without relying on overwritten exposition. Director Lila Neugebauer (best known in the theatre space, but who also worked on the critically acclaimed seriesMaid) manages to keep the tone understated, focusing on the nuances of Lawrence and Henry’s performances that carry the weight of the heavy script."[22] Adam White, giving the film 4 out of 5 stars in a review forThe Independent, praised Lawrence's performance as "brilliant" (stating it as a reminder of previous acclaimed naturalistic work) and that "Henry lends each hushed gap in James’s tale the feel of a sledgehammer."[23]
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