[Source: BBC]

Love. That intangible, addictive, complicated emotion that is the essence of being human.

Now just imagine if it was more straightforward. No more guesswork, no more doubt. What if?

That tantalising prospect is the premise of Fingernails, the second solo film from Greek director Christos Nikou. Probably best known for his collaborations with Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth) and Richard Linklater (Before Midnight), this release is also his first English-language film.

Jessie Buckley plays Anna, who is in a long-term relationship with Ryan (Jeremy Allen White). She should be content: according to a controversial new computer test, the pair are 100% compatible.

But, feeling unsettled, she applies for a job at the Love Institute, which conducts the tests, mentored by instructor Amir (Riz Ahmed). Can a machine really be reliable in affairs of the heart?

Nikou says the idea came to him because of the way people meet and date in the modern world.

“I’m seeing so many people around me using all these dating apps and swiping right or left with their finger. And they’re trying to find the perfect match for them… they’re letting an algorithm decide and suggest people [to them] when I think there is something much more instinctive.”

He says young people in particular appear to be in thrall to online dating.

“All my relationships with girls, especially since I started working in this industry, I met through work,” says the 39-year-old.

“I talked with a lot of younger people that are telling me, ‘Oh, we don’t want to lose time. We’re going to know all the answers. We want to know if we match with this person from the beginning.’

“But for me… you don’t want to know all the answers. And also, it’s the best thing to be surprised. I mean, isn’t it amazing to be surprised by a human?

“For me, love… is chemistry. And the energy is when you see the other person. It’s not a screen.”

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