Riz Ahmed loses a fingernail for love in upcoming sci-fi romance ‘Fingernails’

Headlined by Oscar-winning actor Riz Ahmed, Apple TV’s upcoming science fiction romance film Fingernails has been creating ripples ever since the project was picked up by Apple in Cannes Film Festival deal in 2022.

The film sees Ahmed as Amir, who may willingly give up a fingernail to determine the accuracy of a machine’s measurement of love.

Fingernails is based on a future where a test measures if couples are truly in love with each other, leading to the creation of institutes to help foster successful relationships. One skeptical woman starts working at one institute to find out more, assisting a mysterious and dedicated instructor.

The film also stars Jessie Buckley who plays Anna, opposite Ahmed’s Amir. Jeremy Allen White is onboard to play Ryan. Annie Murphy also stars in Fingernails alongside Ahmed, Buckley, and White.

The story begins with Buckley's Anna perfectly matched to White's Ryan, but after landing a job at a mysterious facility, Anna's feelings for Ryan waver as she develops an interest in Amir, who has been working with couples interested in utilizing the facility's machine, a computer that can determine how deep their feelings for each other truly run. This is done by studying a fingernail that has been removed from each partner.

The film marks director Christos Nikou’s English language debut after his debut film Apples became Greece's Oscar entry.

Nikou co-wrote the film with Apples' co-writer Stavros Raptis, as well as Sam Steiner.

Cate Blanchett, Coco Francini, and Andrew Upton of Dirty Films with produce the film, with Jerome Duboz as executive producer. FilmNation Entertainment will also handle production duties and be the studio for the film.

As per reports, Fingernails will make its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF, with a streaming and limited theatrical release date of November 3, 2023.