Fingernails (film)

Did You Know?

• The film had its European premiere at the Zurich Film Festival on September 29, 2023.
• It also screened at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2023.

Plot

In a world where a fingernail test claims to measure true love, most couples who take it end up failing, leading to more breakups and divorces. Anna, an unemployed schoolteacher, lands a job at the Love Institute, a company founded by a man named Duncan that has been open for about a year. There, instructors guide couples through exercises meant to help them pass the test. Duncan is convinced that further research will eventually yield better results.

Anna hides her new job from her boyfriend Ryan, since they already passed the test together. She trains under Amir, another instructor, and the two grow close while working with clients. Amir says he and his girlfriend Natasha also passed the test, but his interest in Anna is clear. At home, Anna secretly runs experiments on Ryan to check their love.

She later admits to him that she took the job, explaining she worried it might hurt their relationship. When Anna administers the test to a couple she thought would succeed, the negative result upsets her; Amir tells her she will get used to it. At a party for the Institute, Natasha seems puzzled when Anna mentions Amir’s gluten intolerance, making Anna wonder if her feelings for Amir are mutual. Another day, Amir pulls out his own fingernail to calm a nervous client, and that couple gets a positive result.

Seizing the chance, Anna secretly tests her nail against Amir’s. The result shows 50 percent, meaning one person loves the other more. She asks Duncan if someone could test positive with two different people, but he dismisses the idea. She then persuades a reluctant Ryan to retake the test, and they pass again. The next day, Anna tells Amir what she discovered.

When she suggests he loves her but she does not love him back, he confirms it. That night, they kiss and have sex. Later, Anna tells Ryan she is unsure about their future, saying that sometimes being in love feels lonelier than being alone.

Production

The film was announced in January 2021, with Carey Mulligan starring and Christos Nikou writing and directing, marking his English-language debut. Mulligan joined after being impressed by Nikou's previous film Apples. In May 2022, Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed were cast, with Buckley replacing Mulligan. Apple Studios acquired the rights that same month. Jeremy Allen White joined the cast in September, and Luke Wilson and Annie Murphy were added in December. Principal photography took place in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario from late October 2022 and wrapped that December.