Coming home can either be a joyful event or a melancholic affair, depending on the circumstances that surround it. The concept of homecoming is a regular theme in films centred around soldiers, whether those that depict them fighting on the battlefields hoping to survive so that they can return home after the war has ended, or those that focus specifically on the act of being discharged and assimilating back into society. Lila Neugebauer, one of the most promising young filmmakers working today, makes her feature directorial debut with Causeway, in which she tells the story of a young soldier returning home from Afghanistan after acquiring a brain injury that forces her to be given a medical discharge, only to find that life on the other side is not quite what she remembered it to be, which only makes her yearn for the life she led while in active service. This film is an incredible achievement, a simple but profound exploration of the human condition, as seen through the eyes of a character who saw conflict from the perspective of both a civilian and soldier, and chose to align herself with the path she saw as easier. A revealing indictment on the promises of a capitalistic society, as well as a poignant character study of a young woman who finds herself in a state of psychological and emotional freefall, Causeway is a film that carries itself with heft and dignity, but is never afraid to show the darker side of humanity, even for a brief and fleeting moment, as a means to demonstrate that life is not always easier on the other side, especially when someone is battling demons that quite simply don’t abate, regardless of how much effort is put into overcoming the obstacles constructed by the past, which is the central narrative motif from which this film is built, and the ideas that are so beautifully explored.

Neugebauer has certainly demonstrated that she has a very keen eye for detail, and is aligned with stories that look at complex protagonists navigating hostile environments, both physically and mentally. Her television work reflects a precise directorial vision, so it only makes sense that her long-awaited film debut would carry a significant amount of promise as well, and she absolutely delivers on the promise of taking this screenplay (written by Elizabeth Sanders, and then subsequently revised by  Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh) and handcrafting it into a powerful, essential character study that feels both meditative of life’s biggest questions (especially on the subject of returning from something as harrowing as war, which we all know is far from the valiant, heroic act of selfless service that many make it out to be – it is brutal haunting and inflicts wounds that one can never truly heal), and truly enraptured in trying to express the smaller, more inexplicable details that underpin existence. The film makes it abundantly clear that the primary theme being explored is trauma, both physical and psychological (the story is built very much on this duality in various forms, hence the recurring sentiment), and how someone overcomes the challenges that are presented when placed in a position where their only options are to either work to resolve their internal quandaries and assimilate back into society, or simply retreat back into the past, returning to the lives they had before experiencing the literal and metaphorical wounds of war. Causeway doesn’t let its characters fall into being mere archetypes, and the sheer amount of detail embedded in the story is reflective of the director’s very clear interest in exploring the deeper themes that are so integral to the construction of the story.

The characterization is pivotal to the success of the film – the vast majority of the story is based around two characters talking (which is not a reduction of the beautiful screenplay, but rather a resounding celebration of its beautiful simplicity), and Neugebauer makes a concerted effort to pay effective homage to the narrative by having two superbly gifted actors at the helm. Jennifer Lawrence returns to her roots, playing a more simple character who represents legions of veterans returning home from the war and finding the places they left behind are not as impactful as they remembered, and that the ghosts of the past can still haunt these locations, even if they gradually abate. Lawrence has not been this exceptional in years – it’s amongst her most internal performances, and she proves that even in an entirely serious character, she is capable of filling in the more ambigious spaces with her extraordinary acting prowess and ability to command the screen with just her presence. She is joined by the brilliant Brian Tyree Henry, who continues to ascend to the status of being one of our greatest character actors, someone who is perpetually reliable, and delivers astonishing performances that often transcend the films in which they are used. Causeway is a film centred on the concept of the boundless power of friendship, so it was important that the actors playing these roles exuded a sense of devotion and companionship, to the point where we can suspend disbelief and genuinely recognize this film as being an extraordinary piece of acting that utilizes its actors so well, they ultimately turn in some of their finest work, which may not always be expected from such a small film.

Ultimately, there are many individual ideas simmering beneath the surface of Causeway, and the director’s primary goal was to find a way to merge them together in a way that felt natural and contributed to the broader artistic conversation, without stripping the film of even a moment of pure humanity, which is the primary propellant of the entire project. Emotions are difficult to get right with a story like this – there is a constant temptation to fill every scene with an abundance of sensations, forcing the viewer to feel the plight of these characters through guiding us to momentarily see the world through their eyes. This is effective but also not entirely honest, and is the process that social realism as a whole has sought to overcome, especially when they’re confronted with more melodramatic works that luxuriate in excess (which does have its place, its just not in this film) – and Causeway is one of the great modern realist films, a quiet and powerful depiction of human resolve, and the constant desire to work through life’s complexities, even if they seem insurmountable. There’s an authenticity to this film that persists throughout it, constantly reminding us of the deeper ideas that inspired the story, and contributing to the very simple but effective approach taken to explore these themes. The film doesn’t resort to excess because it never needs to – a huge portion of the story entails two characters engaged in conversation, discussing everything from their individual pasts, to their radical ambitions of the future, working together to heal one another without even realizing that their interactions yield such positive results – and it does help that both of the leads are exceptionally good actors, and work closely with the director in interpreting this text to be both realistic and moving, which is not always a realistic combination, but one that is vital to the impact made by this film.

Causeway is the rare kind of film in which every emotion, whether subtle or obvious, feels entirely earned. This is primarily because they’re all formed from a genuine, earnest understanding of the human condition, and when a story pays this much attention to every intricate nuance of how its characters operate, it’s effortlessly easy to find ways to explore the broader questions without feeling heavy-handed. This film signals both a promising start and an exciting continuation of the careers of the people involved. For Neugebauer, this represents a very strong debut as a feature filmmaker, her vision being clear and concise, and formed from a profound understanding of every complex theme that makes up such a layered film. For Lawrence and Henry, its yet another very strong performance in their expansive careers, the two of them playing off each other exceptionally well and utilizing their impeccable chemistry for the sake of telling a story that is quite simply nothing more than an attempt to plumb the emotional depths of two hopelessly shattered human beings that somehow find each other by fate, and prove to be the aide the other needed to begin their process of healing, at least emotionally. Causeway is a beautiful film, a striking and profound manifesto dedicated to the countless people who served their country with bravery and valour, but returned home to find their sense of comfort and hope for a comfortable life has shifted in the process. It is harrowing and very sad, but also presents an image of hope, one that could be seen as the possibility of personal redemption, or simply the ability to see a brighter horizon, even if the journey to get there is treacherous, which is where the theme of friendship and family (two integral components of this film) become most useful, serving as the foundation for this powerful and heartbreakingly beautiful depiction of life and its unexpected challenges, as well as the people brave enough to attempt to overcome them, regardless of the results that await them on the other side.