The story initially unfolds at an incredibly slow pace as Lynsey recovers from her injuries and struggles with routine daily tasks. But once she recovers sufficiently to move back home and tries to find some normalcy in her life, we get a better glimpse into the source of her pain and the obstacles she faces. It’s there that she meets James and the unlikely pair strike up a friendship as they go on a mutual journey of discovery to confront their deep emotional scars. At times, this is difficult to watch as the raw emotion feels so real, but mostly the film is an introspective and thoughtful story about two people just trying to navigate their way through the grief and trauma that they have experienced. 

When the two leads are onscreen together, the back and forth between them seems totally authentic. Lawrence’s performance is reminiscent of her breakthrough role in Winter’s Bone although her character this time around isn’t quite as dynamic as in the earlier film. Nonetheless, the strength and emotion she brings to her portrayal of Lynsey is equally as captivating. And Henry matches Lawrence’s performance scene for scene with his absolutely effortless portrayal of James, the quiet and sensible one who has his own issues to contend with. While it was bit surprising that James received a nomination in the Supporting Actor category for this year’s Oscars due to the limited buzz surrounding this film, it is certainly well-deserved.

Like the story itself, the picture quality is somewhat subdued, but upon closer inspection is lifelike and natural, if not eye-catching. Don’t look for any majestic panoramic shots or super-saturated colors here; instead, the cinematography consists of simply composed images featuring the rather drab and ordinary-looking architecture of Lynsey’s suburban neighborhood. The color grading and use of HDR highlights effectively bring out the detail in facial expressions, clothing, and background objects without drawing gratuitous attention to the visuals. While the lighting of outdoor scenes might seem a bit gloomy, it too is actually quite natural as if captured on an overcast or hazy day, with the fine detail of unkempt grass and shrubs and the peeling paint on houses looking realistic.

Similarly, the Dolby Atmos soundtrack is restrained and mostly centered on the dialogue, yet there is ample use of the surround and height channels to create just a touch of surround ambience in most scenes. When Lynsey and James are riding in his car, the road and engine noise are just present enough to make the setting seem real, and even the music sounds a little boomy, as it often can when played on a car stereo. Most importantly though, the dialogue remains crystal-clear throughout so that we can appreciate the excellent script and finely nuanced performances.

Causeway may be a small film that hasn’t received much attention but it is an exquisitely crafted character study with two very fine performances by Lawrence and Henry that elevate it to something special.