Fingernails
★★★
It makes complete sense that the director of Fingernails, Christos Nikou, is Greek and worked as an assistant director with Yorgos Lanthimos because his style is very reminiscent of Dogtooth or The Lobster. Fingernails is a romantic drama mixed with sci-fi vibes and physical pain that puts you in a state where you never know if you are witnessing a story set in the past, present or future. It very much gives off Severance vibes if you are a fan of that television show.
Overall, I liked the themes that this movie was going for. The concept of a machine reading a pair's fingernails to see if a couple are compatible seems far-fetched, but this story forces you to think about all the technological advances of today that we rely on to do just that. Percentages, numbers, and analytics drive most of our decisions these days, so maybe we aren't so far off from pulling off our own fingernail. It's hard to trust love and I appreciate how this film brings back the concept of trusting your own gut and instinct. Stars Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed (always a favorite of mine) and Jeremy Allen White give a masterclass in subtle acting. All three say so much with their calm demeanors and facial ticks and without their presence, this drab story would be harder to grasp onto.
I really liked the vibe that Fingernails was going for, but once you realize what the big picture of this story is, it subtleness takes out the gut punch of what ultimately happens. It's a patient film with a lot to say, but somehow misses out on opportunities to have fun with its interesting concept. I think Fingernails would have been more effective if it was a little more shocking and progressive, but Nikou shows some great promise. Unfortunately, it's a film that's a little more fun to tell others about than actually watching.
