Lynsey (Jennifer Lawrence) suffered a traumatic brain injury when her convoy was blown up by an IED in Afghanistan. On her return we see her work through her rehabilitation to relearn how to use her body and mind before she heads home to New Orleans. 

New Orleans holds as many painful memories for her as her accident though. An alcoholic absent minded mother and an absent brother whom she misses. Taking a job cleaning pools keeps her busy and then when her truck breaks down she meets a mechanic called James (Brian Tyree Henry). 

James has his own trauma following a car accident on the causeway that resulted in him losing his leg and a lot more. The two of them bond and form a complicated relationship. 

Causeway is an incredibly understated film shot in a naturalistic way with a score that is unobtrusive. The focus is entirely on realism and the relationship of two troubled people. The characters entire lives are taken up by the pain they feel and the story is them simply leaning on each other as they try to work out how to live their new lives. 

Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry are superb but without them the film would be nothing. They are so compelling to watch that the fact the story is so slight does not become an issue. 

Debutant film maker Lila Neugebauer can clearly handle subtle whilst drawing out excellent performances from her cast but perhaps for her sophomore film she can find a script with a bit more substance and insight into those characters.