Fingernails, a sci-fi romcom coming to Apple TV Plus from director Christos Nikou, imagines a future the place one very particular expertise has modified the world. On this timeline, scientists have discovered the best way to conclusively decide if two individuals are in love. This upends relationships as we all know them, with {couples} sticking steadfastly to the outcomes of the check; in the event that they get a damaging end result, they find yourself splitting up. It’s a cute conceit for exploring the methods relationships can develop stale or change over time, and Fingernails builds on that with its darkly comedic vibe. It additionally has a stunning quantity of physique horror — the character of which you would possibly be capable of glean from the title.
The movie facilities on Anna (Jessie Buckley), a trainer who’s in a long-term — and test-approved — relationship along with her boyfriend Ryan (Jeremy Allen White). They’ve reached the snug section of their relationship; issues aren’t precisely thrilling anymore, however it might be worse than cuddling on the sofa and watching documentaries each night time. Plus, science has assured them that they’re meant to be collectively. Issues take a flip when Anna begins a brand new job at The Love Institute, which not solely performs the aforementioned love exams but in addition affords a sequence of classes to prep {couples} for achievement. For causes that aren’t made totally clear, she retains this new gig a secret from Ryan.
The Love Institute is sort of a enterprise based on the rules of Nora Ephron movies. The ready room is persistently full of the sound of falling rain as a result of it induces romance, whereas the lesson plans entails sniffing out your accomplice in a crowd, surprising your self once they depart the room, and watching a gradual food plan of Hugh Grant films collectively. Oh, after which there’s the check itself. When you haven’t guessed but, it really works like this: researchers pull off a fingernail from every particular person, after which place them in an enormous retrofuturistic microwave to be analyzed. The entire thing solely takes a couple of minutes however leaves a bodily reminder that the check happened. Regardless of the entire fingernail pulling occurring, love blossoms between Anna and her new co-worker Amir (Riz Ahmed) as they spend their days making an attempt to assist {couples} survive the check.
Now, I’ve just a few questions concerning the world of Fingernails. It’s by no means actually made clear why folks put a lot inventory on this check. Married {couples} divorce after a damaging end result; households are damaged up due to a easy check. Some folks take it a number of instances to make sure although — and it bears repeating — it’s a must to have a fingernail pulled off as a part of the check. Within the case of Anna, as she slowly turns into infatuated with Amir, she questions her emotions much more as a result of science says she ought to be with Ryan. It’s an enormous factor to not clarify as a result of the check is the motivation behind just about the whole lot that occurs within the film.
You could put these questions out of your thoughts to completely take pleasure in Fingernails — it’s additionally good to not overthink when precisely the film takes place, with its futuristic love check and in any other case very retro setting, one which appears utterly devoid of smartphones. But it surely’s price it as a result of it’s the sort of slow-burning, darkly humorous romance that’s fairly uncommon. The gruesomeness of the check is contrasted by the ridiculousness of the love coaching; at one level, a researcher wonders aloud if setting a theater on fireplace throughout a Hugh Grant marathon would encourage an excellent deeper connection. And the celebrities on the coronary heart of the love triangle all put in robust, plausible performances that — regardless of a seemingly predictable setup — had me guessing how issues would end up.
Finally, the worldbuilding, obscure as it’s, serves largely as window dressing for a simple but well-crafted story about how relationships evolve over time. It’s candy and humorous and infrequently grotesque — the uncommon romantic comedy that may make you wince.
