The 2023 film output of Apple Original Films has shown that the service is as adept at sizeable hits (Killers of the Flower Moon) as with serious misses (Ghosted). Their most recent offering, Fingernails, comes from Greek director Christos Nikou as a follow-up to his debut full-length feature Apples. While Apples opened to rave reviews from foreign film lovers, Fingernails got more online engagement but did not fare as well critically. With almost everyone riding the line of mediocrity in their viewing opinion, Fingernails might suffer a drift into obscurity despite its intriguing, unique premise.
Fingernails Plot Summary
A woman, played by Jessie Buckley, begins working for a scientific study that tests for true love. As she learns more about relationships and love for others and in her life, she questions the accuracy of the results, which prove she and her boyfriend are definitely in love.
Commendable Ideas in Fingernails
Even with some science fiction pretenses, Fingernails is as love-focused as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Her, or any other future commentary on romance. The moral Nikou crafts about relationships in his second film develops through a handful of clever satirical remarks about love, with underlying subtleties directing the message to an indictment of the confines of marriage.
The test shown in Fingernails affects couples by either breaking them up before they can even give their relationship a chance or, in the case of the main character’s scenario, relegating them to a lifetime of contentment with dissatisfaction. Though you might be able to guess what direction the plot will take by the end, the growing work romance between Buckley and co-star Riz Ahmed is prime romantic film content. Ultimately, the fact that they are both documented to be in love with someone else becomes another arbitrary reason to keep them apart during the runtime.
Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed in ‘Fingernails’
Where Fingernails Falls Short
The biggest drawback in Fingernails is the film’s obviousness with the concept; Nikou does not extract enough unique plot elements from the premise to make it one of 2023’s best watches. While the main character’s doubts about her relationship are evident from the onset, the drawn-out wander to any plot diversions takes a while to manifest effectively. The niche style appeals to a decent but select audience, but others will find the experience either too slowly-paced or inferior to its influences. While the whole viewing eventually comes together, Fingernails will turn away plenty in its peculiarities, and its nearly two-hour runtime without a groundbreaking idea coming to fruition does not help the matter.
Is Fingernails Worth the Watch?
What critics say about Fingernails is essentially correct: while Nikou’s film fails in some regards to capitalize fully on its premise, it still contains enough compelling concepts at its core to warrant at least one watch. Those with a penchant for dry humor will, of course, be the most likely to watch Fingernails, but the value of its quirky charm and romantic tension keeps things interesting for all viewers. It might not be the favorite of the year for many, but Fingernails is at least a well-directed, positive experience from Apple this month.
Fingernails is streaming now on Apple TV+.