'Fingernails': A Critical Examination of Love and an Underwhelming Screenplay

Article Summary

Failing to fulfill its intriguing premise, Director Christos Nikou's first English-language film, Fingernails, falls short by offering a superficial and formulaic storyline.

Fingernails offers an entertaining ensemble and occasional moments of charm, yet falls short in its exploration of the intriguing concept of using ripped-off fingernails to gauge couple compatibility in a not-so-distant future. This lack of depth hampers the film's ability to fully grasp its themes of love and uncertainty.

This review was originally part of our coverage for the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Having started as a second assistant director for Yorgos Lanthimos on his unsettling and peculiar 2009 film, Dogtooth, Director Christos Nikou displayed his talent for exploring odd concepts and fully developing the intriguing worlds they create. In his English-language debut, Fingernails, Nikou, along with co-screenwriters Sam Steiner and Stavros Raptis, attempts to take a Lanthimos-esque approach by blending uncomfortable concepts with insights into love. However, the film falls short of being captivating, as it remains too superficial and obvious, despite the promising central idea.

Fingernails

Anna and Ryan have discovered genuine love, and this fact is substantiated by a contentious cutting-edge technology. However, Anna remains uncertain about their relationship. Despite her doubts, she accepts a job at a love testing institute, where she encounters Amir.

What Is 'Fingernails' About?

Release Date: November 3, 2023

Director: Christos Nikou

Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Annie Murphy, Jessie Buckley, Luke Wilson, Riz Ahmed

Rating: R

Runtime: 113 minutes

Main Genre: Drama

Genres: Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi

Writers: Christos Nikou, Stavros Raptis, Sam Steiner

Image via Apple TV+

In the world of Fingernails, set in the near future, the uncertainty of finding true love has been eradicated. A revolutionary technology now allows couples to determine their love compatibility by sacrificing one of their fingernails. They simply insert the nail into a microwave-like machine, and a computer will provide them with a clear verdict: 0% love, 100% love, or an ambiguous 50% love, suggesting that only one person truly feels the love.

Jessie Buckley portrays Anna, who finds herself employed at a love training institute run by the company behind this groundbreaking test. The institute aims to enhance couples' compatibility prior to taking the test through various activities, such as exploring potential matches through scent or engaging in tandem skydiving. Anna has already undergone the test with her longtime partner Ryan (played by Jeremy Allen White), and they received a perfect 100% connection. However, as Anna begins her new job and crosses paths with her trainer Amir (portrayed by Riz Ahmed), both she and Amir begin to question whether their connection could extend beyond their professional relationship.

'Fingernails' Is Sci-Fi and Romance, but Struggles With Both

In this world, the divorce rates have significantly decreased thanks to the trust people have placed in a test devised by Duncan, the founder of the love institute (played by Luke Wilson). Interestingly, couples seem to be breaking up immediately after receiving negative results, seemingly unwilling to invest their time in something uncertain. The perplexing aspect is why the entire world relies on a microwave/TV hybrid created by Luke Wilson. However, it takes approximately two hours for the protagonists in Fingernails to also reach this realization. While not as mentally exhausting as The Pod Generation released this year, both films fall into the trap of taking an intriguing concept and building an predictably generic storyline around it, much to the audience's disappointment.

Image via Apple TV+

Fingernails, a blend of pseudo-sci-fi and romance, falls short in both genres. The exploration of the world and its scientific aspects is disappointingly minimal, considering the significance of this test on countless individuals. Nikou, Steiner, and Raptis missed an opportunity to delve deeper into this world. Despite the intentionally drab yet visually captivating portrayal by Nikou, the muted aesthetic adds to the love story's charm. The relationship between Anna and Ryan is understandably lackluster, with glimpses of love fading in a bond that has already seen better days. Even the story of Anna and Amir, while featuring longing looks and obvious attraction, lacks the necessary impact. Perhaps, Fingernails stretches the predictable will-they-won't-they plotline for too long, as it only starts getting intriguing as the end credits roll—an unfortunate similarity with films that prefer to avoid addressing important questions.

This is what has stood out to me the most since watching Fingernails at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The potential for a rich world that eliminates the uncertainty of romance is intriguing. The film explores the workings of this process and how it has transformed people's perceptions of love. However, amidst this romantic certainty, the world itself has become mundane. Nikou, Steiner, and Raptis primarily focus on the characters portrayed by Buckley, White, and Ahmed, and although this approach eventually pays off in the third act, the overall concept lacks depth and engagement. Nikou's film manages to convey the monotony of this world without delving deeper into the reasons behind its existence. Consider movies like Her or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which seamlessly blend romance and sci-fi to enhance both genres. These films explore the central love story and its impact on the surrounding world due to the underlying technology. Fingernails feels like it had the potential to expand its horizons, but instead, it narrows its scope and disregards the world beyond. Nikou barely scratches the surface, while we yearn to uncover what lies hidden beneath.

However, despite all of this, the cast here is enjoyable to watch. The bond between Anna and Amir starts to grow, and it eventually becomes charming to watch these two circle each other. Buckley and Ahmed, especially towards the end, skillfully portray the flutterings of love. We can feel the connection between them grow stronger as they work together, even if it could be stronger throughout. Watching this cast in a world where the confusion over love has taken some of the life out of life is also fun. Despite creating one of the most important technologies in human history, Luke Wilson's Duncan works in a retro office with an always open door and takes photos of successful couples. Jeremy Allen White is decent in a role that doesn't demand much of him, but we understand why Anna would be in love with him and how she could be falling out of love with him. Annie Murphy is wonderful in a small role as Amir's girlfriend, Natasha. Although she only appears in one scene, it's hard not to wish for more from her.

However, it's hard not to watch Fingernails and recognize the potential in this story and in Nikou as a filmmaker. Nikou, who has worked with Lanthimos and Richard Linklater, shows glimmers of excellence throughout the film. The world he creates is both attractive and mundane, and the screenplay briefly displays the beauty within the uncertainty of love. Fingernails is filled with great ideas and strong filmmaker instincts, but it feels like a film that could have delved deeper into its world, love, and ideas.

Fingernails is not necessarily a disappointment, but rather a film that showcases a filmmaker who is still finding his footing. It is evident that Nikou has the potential to deliver a great film in the future, which is evident in certain aspects of Fingernails. However, regrettably, Fingernails falls short of achieving that potential.

Grade: B-

Fingernails is available to stream on Apple TV+ in the U.S. starting November 3.

WATCH ON APPLE TV+

Editor's P/S

Fingernails is a sci-fi romance film starring Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed. The film explores the concept of using ripped-off fingernails to gauge couple compatibility in a not-so-distant future. Despite promising performances, the flimsy screenplay holds it back.

The film's central idea is intriguing, but the execution is lacking. The film fails to fully explore the implications of its premise and instead relies on superficial and formulaic storytelling. The characters are not particularly well-developed, and the relationships feel shallow. The film also suffers from a lack of emotional depth, and the romance between the two main characters feels forced and unconvincing.