Christos Nikou’s latest flick isn’t set in some dystopian world where the world is pushed into chaos and people are killing each other for supplies! Instead, Fingernails takes place in a world where two people cannot simply agree that they’re in love unless a test proves it! Yes, you’ve heard it right: You have to take a test to determine whether you’re in love or just fooling yourself. However, like always, some people don’t trust these results.
Take Garth (Varun Saranga), for example. He doesn’t believe in such tests and is convinced that he doesn’t need a piece of paper or a computer to tell him whether he loves his wife or not. On the flip side, there’s Ryan (Jeremy Allen White), who feels the test is accurate. Ryan and his girlfriend Anna (Jessie Buckley) took the test earlier and aced it, proving they were in love. However, Anna has some reservations and sometimes struggles with the thought that she might not be in love. She’s also due to start her new job at a love-testing institute, something she has been aiming for for a long time.
Spoilers Ahead
Why Do People Need A Love-Testing Institute?
The most pressing question is why there’s a love-testing institute, and do people really need it? Unfortunately, yes, the people of this world need such institutions to take the risk out of love so they don’t have to ponder whether they’ve chosen the right partner or not, leading to a low divorce rate. However, the problem is that almost 80 percent of the time, the result always comes up negative. Such tests include things like watching the same movies and songs and comparing views later on, trying to maintain eye contact underwater for as long as possible, and identifying their partner only by smelling body odor.
Those who succeed in such tests continue their relationship and hopefully get married, while others call it off. The couples are also provided with a massive book filled with exercises to make their bond stronger and pass the test. Duncan (Luke Wilson), the director of the institute, is hell-bent on increasing the success rate of the test. The test really has the power to make or break a relationship. Yes, many couples tend to break up after receiving their results, no matter how happy they are with one another. If the test says you’re not in love, then you’re really not in love.
Why Is Anna Having Second Thoughts?
Anna meets Amir (Riz Ahmed) on her first day on the job and immediately takes a liking to him. Like Anna and Ryan, Amir has also tested positive for love and is now working in the love-testing institute to help people find out if they’re truly in love or if they’re just deluded. Anna shadows him to learn the nooks and crannies of her new job, and with every interview she takes, Anna begins to have thoughts that she’s not in love with Ryan. Even though she says “I love you” to Ryan after every call, she doesn’t feel that spark anymore. As expected, Anna soon begins to pick up hints, and most of them suggest to her that their love has turned sour. Ryan also sometimes doesn’t show any interest in a few of her hobbies, like pottery and sketching. This is quite normal, but Anna takes this as another hint.
Just when you think the movie could not get any weirder (in a good sense), it takes it up a notch. Anna is heartbroken after one of the couples she’s working with tests negative for love. Anna and Amir literally pulled the couple’s fingernails and put them in some kind of computer, which, after running the love-testing algorithm, concluded that John (Albert Chung) and Maria (Heather Dicke) weren’t in love. This makes Anna suspect that she and her boyfriend may not be in love despite passing the test with flying colors. Moreover, she keeps finding herself drawn to Amir. Unlike Amir’s girlfriend, she doesn’t forget that Amir has a gluten allergy. When Anna is with Amir, she seems to have a new radiance in her eyes. His dancing moves, choice of movies, and talent to carve out different tests to figure out if people are in love or not just amaze her. For example, Amir makes people don a parachute and jump from a moving plane without any instructor. The aim here is to help the couple connect on a deeper level by trusting each other with their lives. Also, the couples taking the tests have to jump on their own without any experts. This is to make sure that one of them doesn’t fall in love with the expert.
Do Anna And Amir Pass The Fingernail Test?
Anna accompanies Amir to his house to help him pick up some fresh clothes from his apartment. Amir invites her in for a coffee, and the nervousness on his face is irrefutable evidence that he, too, harbors feelings for Anna. Also, Amir’s half-empty house and the single toothbrush in the holder hint that things aren’t smooth between Amir and Natasha. So, are Amir and Anna in love? No, they’re not, at least according to the love-testing machine. Rob, one of Amir and Anna’s students, freaked out when he was notified about the fingernail test. This was a test where one fingernail of each partner was pulled out and then placed into the computer for results.
To ease Rob’s fear of the test, Amir willingly pulled his fingernails. Anna later used the same fingernail to find out whether they were in love or not. Sadly, the computer showed only 50%, suggesting one-sided love. So, is it possible for one person to have positive results with two different people? No, it’s not, at least according to Duncan. Anna tries convincing Ryan to retake the love test, but the latter refuses it. Ryan also assures Anna that his feelings for her haven’t changed a bit and have only gotten stronger. However, he fears that Anna’s feelings for him have changed. Ryan agrees to take the test and, surprisingly, does quite well. His girlfriend, however, is less certain.
Who Is Anna’s True Love – Ryan Or Amir?
Anna confesses to Amir that she secretly tested their fingernails. Anna knows that Natasha and Amir aren’t dating and Amir has lied to her. Plus, earlier, Anna took the test with Ryan again, and the results showed that they both are in love with each other. So, there’s a possibility that it’s Amir who is in love with Anna and not the other way around. Amir also confirms the same and accepts that he has fallen for Anna. However, he is having trouble wrapping his head around the fact that Anna isn’t in love with him. Heartbroken, Amir leaves the office, informing his co-workers that he’ll be taking some time off. The same night, Anna knocks on Adam’s door, and once inside, she kisses him, proving that she also reciprocates his love. The duo also gets intimate soon after.
So, what about Ryan? Anna makes up her mind and decides to stay the night, hinting that she has decided to end her relationship with Ryan. However, Amir decides to take her home in the morning. In a way, Amir still doesn’t believe that Anna loves him. He fears this is just an infatuation that will soon wither off, and he’ll be alone again. In reality, he has tried the test many times in the past few years, with Natasha and others, but has always tested negative. These repetitive tests convinced him that there was something wrong with him, or maybe love wasn’t his cup of tea. This is why he’s still having reservations. However, it all changed when, in the middle of the night, Anna started pulling her fingernails one by one. Fortunately, Amir wakes up and stops Anna. But why did Anna pull her fingernails? So she could never test positive again with anyone but Amir. Anna is convinced she’s in love with Amir and will not allow any machine to tell her otherwise.
The love-testing machine was mistaken all along, and those who placed their faith in its results rather than believing their hearts were fools. They let go of something special in their lives simply because a machine told them that they weren’t in love or that one of them wasn’t. Love is a complex subject, yet at the same time, it isn’t. There is no foolproof method to determine whether two people are in love or not. The only ones who truly know the answer are the people themselves. If their hearts light up with joy upon seeing their significant other, they are in love. If not, there is a wide spectrum of explanations, none of which are necessarily negative.
Final Verdict
Fingernails isn’t your typical love story; it’s a joyride of entertainment! This movie’s characters, plot, and pace are spot-on, and the soundtrack, especially the end credit score, Only You, is absolutely brilliant. What makes Fingernails truly stand out is their unique take on love. It doesn’t get bogged down in the usual clichés, like hearts skipping beats or obsessing over shared hobbies. Instead, it’s a delightful journey through the unpredictable twists and turns of love. In a world filled with rom-com mediocrity, Fingernails dares to be different. It’s a reminder that love can blossom in the most unexpected places without needing to match hobbies, music tastes, or dining choices. This film is a must-see for those who crave a love story that defies explanation.
