It was an exciting night at the Bowery Hotel, celebrating the premier of Causeway.
The party featured a delicious buffet with steak, sliders, and pasta, attended by several writers and artists, including Causeway actor Sean Carvajal. A common source of discussion was the relief of having a small-scale film like Causeway with high-profile actors like Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry. Causeway felt like a breath of fresh air in a wave of cinematic universes and blockbusters, providing an intimate character conflict exploring isolation, mental health, and PTSD. The consensus was that more films like Causeway were needed in the cinematic landscape to break up the deluge of big-budget cannon fodder. While these types of films are getting made, they rarely have the star power of Causeway, which some at the party mentioned is a strength of A24. They have the clout to access high-profile talent for unique, small-scale films.
A particular note of praise went to Jennifer Lawrence for her performance in the film. After leading two blockbuster franchises, The Hunger Games and X-Men, there was a discourse on whether Jennifer Lawrence would further develop her acting chops in smaller-scale independent films. It was noted that Lawrence’s career was primarily made up of high budget films, like Passengers and Red Sparrow, along with movies that generally go for Oscars, like Silver Linings Playbook or Don’t Look Up, so Causeway could lead to an interesting new direction in her career.
Attendees also discussed Brian Tyree Henry, as Causeway is another successful notch on the actor’s eclectic filmography. Coming off of the final season of the hit show Atlanta, Brian Tyree Henry has showcased a colorful filmography, ranging from blockbusters, genre films, voiceover work, and indie work. With Causeway being another example of Henry’s impressive screen presence and personality-driven performance, many attendees at the party were curious about what he’d do next.
Causeway is now playing on Apple+