Fingernails

The most interesting film I've watched this year, that's for sure. "Fingernails" is nothing you'd expect -- it's got this test on love (quite literally) that will make you bite your nails, and your fingers, and close your eyes in the moment. With an A24-coded story concept that is weirdly satirical, it's one that has a satisfying tale of romance, an exploration of uncertain feelings, and what it means to crave that feeling. Both Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed have the perfect dynamic on-screen that I just cannot get enough of. These two are some of the very few actors I utterly admire and respect and so seeing them together in this film was something I really enjoyed. Everything was beautiful and entertaining in a way that would lure you into its world; with a production design that is just mesmerizing, and a soundtrack that perfectly fits with the characters' emotions. A perfect grasp of the desire for what "love" really depicts, and a perfect character study on a flawed character who is unsure of her feelings, while putting all her fate on a love test.

I generally watch anything that has Riz Ahmed in and never leave reviews but I'm really glad I watched this and was surprised to see such a low score.

I found it a calm and peaceful film but I really felt it between Anna and Amir. I enjoyed subtlety of the question of whether love is enough.

Jessie Buckley is brilliant (I've only seen her in Men up until now and she shows a totally different side in this film) and I found her heartache so easy to connect with. Riz Ahmed is as excellent as ever and brings Amir to life gently.

Don't let the scores put you off, it's definitely worth the watch.

If this story had been well written, I'd have liked the leads together very much. Sadly, it was not well written. I'm a scifi geek and I normally can suspend disbelief and don't care about the science, nor the premise, all that much. In this case, the way this story is written, a five year old child would question the test. I agree with other reviewers that the fact that none of the film's own characters question it strains the disbelief several steps too far, particularly considering how low tech this particular method of this trope is portrayed here. Since most of the characters appear miserable (agree with 'bleak world'), it's extremely depressing and drags on so badly. I cannot imagine a GOOD reason to watch this film. Further, if a large number of people watched it together, say in a theater, I would suggest putting the group on suicide watch.

Greetings again from the darkness. Certifiable love. Trust the science. Anna and Ryan are in love and they have the certification (and sore fingers) to prove it. One minor problem is that they don't seem to have much in common, other than a love for the fatty parts of a well-cooked steak. And even this common ground leads to a certain dishonesty. Writer-director Christos Nikou and his APPLES co-writer Stavros Raptis, along with co-writer Sam Steiner, have given us a film that appears to lean heavily into science-fiction, while also poking a bit of skepticism that direction.

Most of this film didn't work for me, however, the depth that the two lead actors, Jessie Buckley (I frequently recommend WILD ROSE, 2018) and Riz Ahmed (SOUND OF METAL, 2020, and an Oscar winner for his short film THE LONG GOODBYE, 2021), bring such an intimacy and sincerity to their scenes that we can almost overlook the absurdity of the story. And maybe that's the point.

Anna (Ms. Buckley) has recently lost her job as a teacher, and when she lands the job she wants as a trainer at The Love Institute, she opts not to tell her husband Ryan (Jeremy Allen White, "Shameless"). The Love Institute is run by Duncan (Luke Wilson) and the mission is to test couples for scientific compatibility in a long-term relationship. This is done by pulling a fingernail from each and testing in a machine invented by Duncan (don't worry, he is always looking to improve it). The idea is that science can take the guesswork out of relationships and put folks at ease that they found the "right" partner.

Of course, as soon as we see Anna and Amir (Mr. Ahmed) working alongside each other, we know where this is headed. The two actors are terrific together and excel at selective gazing, while maintaining professionalism. Science, chemistry, and biology all play a role here, but the thought that folks would volunteer to have their fingernails yanked out (while biting a block of wood) is ludicrous, even if the film opens by telling us fingernails often display the first symptoms of heart issues (physical not emotional). The film is evidently supposed to prove yet again that matters of romance are beyond the scope of science, even in movies.

Opens on AppleTV+ beginning November 3, 2023.

Not sure why I decided to watch this, I'm normally a sci fi guy, maybe it's because it was on Apple so knew quality would be up there, maybe I though it had a science fi edge from the 'testing' , or maybe I just fancied something different.

Well I got all of that and more. Jessie Buckley absolutely delivered a superb, real and emotional performance....i could feel every tug on heartstrings I didn't know I had anymore. Great performances from all 3 leads, but Jessie....just wow, I really hope this launches her career to bigger things, she deserves it after that.

Oh and the music was superb.....well done production team.