Jessie Buckley & Riz Ahmed To Lead Christos Nikou’s Sci-Fi Romance ‘Fingernails’

FilmNation is behind some hot packages at the Cannes Market this year with projects that include the noir thriller “Knox Goes Away” which has Michael Keaton (“Birdman“) set to star/direct, the Woody Harrelson thriller “Last Breath,” and the new supernatural film “The Shrouds” from David Cronenberg. Their latest offering going to auction comes from producer Cate Blanchett and is the English-language debut of Greek director Christos Nikou (“Apples“).

“Fingernails” is finally moving forward as Deadline reports the sci-fi romance pic has secured actors Jessie Buckley (“Men“) and Oscar-winner Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal“) as the two main leads.

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They call the film a “grounded sci-fi love story” as the logline reads as follows:

A new test has been discovered that measures whether couples are really in love. To help couples succeed on their paths, love Institutes have opened to guide them along their journey. Anna (Buckley) is skeptical of the positive result she’s received with her longtime partner, so she starts working in a love institute as an assistant to Trevor (Ahmed), a mysterious, dedicated instructor.

Nikou’s “Fingernails” certainly sounds similar to things like “The Lobster” and “Black Mirror,” both of which tackled genre-based relationship services with a satirical tone.

Buckley seemingly replaces Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman“), who had been announced last year.

“The unique and phenomenal talents of Jessie and Riz will perfectly capture the strange humor, heart, and pathos embedded in the core of ‘Fingernails.’ We are thrilled to welcome them and the wonderful team at FilmNation aboard to bring Christos Nikou’s profound vision to life,” Blanchett’s Dirty Films said in a joint statement.

When Nikou’s debut film “Apples” was screened at the Venice Film Festival, our review said the pandemic dramedy “harbors an endearing timeless quality.”

“Fingernails” sounds like one to keep an eye on.