Causeway Trailer: Jennifer Lawrence Returns In A Harrowing War Drama

Apple TV+ is still riding high after becoming the first streaming service to win Best Picture at the Oscars earlier this year with "CODA." Now, as fall is upon us and the leaves change, we are starting to get a better sense of which movies will be in the awards season race this year. Apple is seemingly back in the mix with "Causeway," the latest from A24 which serves as a starring vehicle for Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence ("Silver Linings Playbook").

This looks to be a particularly somber and dramatic turn for Lawrence, who plays Lynsey, a military engineer who has returned to the U.S. from Afghanistan with a debilitating brain injury after an IED explosion. The first trailer for the film offers us a glimpse at her performance and, rather than tell us a story, it seems to hinge more on an overall feeling. Let's take a look.

As we can see, there isn't much story to go around here. The trailer doesn't even make reference to the fact that Lawrence's character has come home from the military, though it is heavily implied. It's clear she's struggling mightily with being home, but the specifics are left vague. We also get a great deal of Brian Tyree Henry ("Eternals," "Bullet Train"), who also looks to be having his own troubles stateside. It looks like they are both delivering heart-wrenching performances in this one, even if the specifics are vague. One thing that really stands out is the fact that we're getting a post-war story centered on a woman, which is something we really don't see all that often. Typically, these types of stories are through the lens of a male lead, making this quite unique.

"Causeway" is directed by Lila Neugebauer ("The Waverly Gallery," "The Last Thing He Told Me"), working from a script by Ottessa Moshfegh, Luke Goebel and Elizabeth Sanders. Lawrence is on board as a producer in addition to her starring role, alongsideJustine Ciarrocchi. Neugebauer, Jacob Jaffke, Sophia Lin, Patricia Clarkson, Kirk Michael Fellows, and Christopher J. Surgent serve as executive producers.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and critics who have screened have generally had positive things to say. It currently holds an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. We'll see what audiences have to say soon enough, and whether or not Lawrence and/or Henry enter the Oscar race with this one.

"Causeway" arrives in theaters and on Apple TV+ on November 4, 2022.