Fingernails Movie Review

Fingernails (2023)

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Written by: Christos Nikou & Sam Steiner & Stavros Raptis
Directed by: Christos Nikou
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson, Annie Murphy
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Anna and Ryan have found true love, and it's proven by a controversial new technology. The problem. being Anna still isn't sure. Then she takes a position at a love testing institute and meets Amir.

Verdict
I like this, but it's more about the question it implies than what we actually see. If a technology could confirm love, how would it affect your life? Would you become complacent in your relationship relying on the test as confirmation? Would you doubt the results? Would you forsake a healthy relationship because the test result was not love? It's an intriguing question that doesn't need a full movie to get the point across.
It depends.

Review
This reminds me of the Black Mirror episode, Hang the DJ where a dating app informs you exactly how long a relationship will last. That app controls dating, people trusting it as complete truth and trusting it so much they end relationshiops.

This references "the test" early, though it's used as a teaser if you don't know the premise. This test takes the guesswork and actual work out of a relationship. If the test states you're a match, you don't need to work at getting better and growing as a couple. If it says you're not a match, you break up without trying to work at it. It's simplification to the point of frustration while undermining the whole concept of a relationship.

Jessie Buckley, Jeremy Allen White play Anna, Ryan

Anna's (Jessie Buckley) relationship with Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) has been confirmed by the test. For him, the test means he doesn't have to put any additional effort into the relationship. They're set. He's content with how things are, validated by the test. She has doubts.

Anna gets a job at a love institute that helps people pass the test. She conceals if from Ryan, but through this job we get to see these exercises to help pass. It seems silly to almost pointless, but maybe that's the point. People will endure silly tests to make a relationship work and get validation from the test. It's the kind of work that should be put into any relationship. The promise of validation is too great to resist. The test seems too scientific to question.

The tests are done by analyzing a fingernail, and while the fingernail pulling scene is in no way graphic, the very thought and implication is incredibly uncomfortable.

Riz Ahmed, Jessie Buckley play Amir, Anna

Anna spends a lot of time at work with Amir (Riz Ahmed) as he shows her how to help the clients. It's clear they have a connection. The confusion is that the test has told Anna she already has a match. Could she match with two different people?

This technology provides what people want, certainty. Whether it's proven or not, people still jump at this. The answer is more important than the fidelity. Anna and Amir are torn between trusting a feeling or tangible results. That's the constraint of a test like this. Defying the test breeds uncertainty. Even a fake test provides the confirmation people despite being built on something make believe. It's never proven whether this test is accurate. Anna has a test result that provides certainty, but still she doubts.