Jessie Buckley Waits for Love in First ‘Fingernails’ Teaser

Signs of love are all around Jessie Buckley in a new teaser for her upcoming sci-fi romance film Fingernails. She’s set to play Anna, a woman just starting out her job at an institute that studies all things romance to determine if love between a couple is genuine. In this world, technology and tests exist to measure love beyond what’s possible at first sight and these institutes are capitalizing on the revolutionary discovery by offering guidance to couples to keep their relationships strong.

In this first clip, Anna seems to be sitting around in the waiting room of one of these love institutes which appears just like a typical hospital. Rather than symptoms of ailments or health guidance posters on the walls, signs telling of the symptoms of love, from heart palpitations to the appearance of fingernails, are everywhere. There’s even a poster encouraging patients to get tested for love. Anna is handed her paperwork, but she notices that even the sounds of the building are tailored to induce feelings of romance. Rain can be seen as both soothing and romantic to many, so the waiting room plays an endless loop of a steady rain shower.

Fingernails promises to take a big-picture look at the very fabric of human relationships through this almost humorous lens where love is understood to a deep scientific level and everything revolves around it. Leading the cast alongside Buckley will be Riz Ahmed who, fresh off of an excellent turn as the “villainous” Ballister Boldheart in the long-awaited Nimona, will play the mysterious and dedicated love instructor Trevor whom Anna begins working with as an assistant. The Bear star Jeremy Allen White is also on board as Anna’s long-term partner Ryan who shares a “certified love relationship” with her. Rounding out the cast are a few other standouts including Luke Wilson, Annie Murphy, and Nina Kiri.

Who Is Behind ‘Fingernails’?

Behind the camera for Fingernails is Christos Nikou with his first English-language feature. Nikou previously helmed Apples, Greece’s selection for the 2021 Best International Feature Oscar. Here, he teamed with Stavros Raptis and Sam Steiner to pen the screenplay. A starry production team is also behind his latest, including Cate Blanchett, Coco Francini, and Andrew Upton all credited as producers with Jerome Duboz executive producing. The film is one of many high-profile projects bound for this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, joining Dumb Money, Rustin, and the long-awaited Next Goal Wins among many more. Nikou’s feature will premiere at the fest on September 12.

Fingernails is set for a limited release in theaters starting October 27 before arriving on Apple TV+ on November 3. Check out the teaser below.