Fingernails

Unemployed schoolteacher Anna accepts a job at the Love Institute, a new company that runs relationship-strengthening exercises. She keeps the hiring secret from her boyfriend Ryan at first, fearing how it could affect him. She begins shadowing Amir and observing how the program operates.

Anna shadows Amir and starts guiding clients through the exercises. She notices Amir’s growing fondness for her and the way he speaks about his own and Natasha’s test results. Their professional dynamic hints at something more complicated beneath the surface.

Anna keeps her job secret from Ryan while secretly running experiments with him to gauge their love. She hopes the tests might somehow salvage their relationship despite the job’s strain. The deception foreshadows the ethical dilemma she will face.

Anna tests a promising client couple, but the result comes back negative. She is shaken and disappointed by the outcome, confronting the harsh reality of the test’s bleak statistics. Amir tries to console her, telling her she’ll get used to the disappointment.

At a workplace party, Natasha is confused when Anna mentions Amir’s gluten intolerance, highlighting their complicated dynamic. The moment makes Anna question whether she and Amir share any genuine mutual feelings. The social setting foreshadows the emotional boundaries that will be tested.

Amir rips out his own fingernail to comfort a client who is nervous about the procedure, showing his commitment. The client couple receives a positive result, delighting everyone. Anna secretly tests Amir’s fingernail and discovers a 50% result, suggesting one person may be more in love than the other.

Anna convinces a hesitant Ryan to take the test with her again, and they pass. The result reinforces their relationship status, at least outwardly, and gives Anna a false sense of stability. It complicates her growing inner conflict about love and truth.

Anna shares her experimental findings with Amir, who confirms his own feelings for her. He suggests that he might be in love with Anna, but she does not reciprocate. Their confession deepens the emotional tension and sets the stage for a complicated affair.

That night, Anna and Amir kiss and sleep together, crossing a line that blurs professional boundaries. Anna expresses uncertainty about staying with Ryan, admitting that love can be lonelier than solitude. The kiss marks a turning point in both of their lives.

Amir admits that his motive for joining the Love Institute was his own lack of positive test results and a sense that something was wrong with him. This honesty complicates the relationship as both of them navigate their feelings away from the tests. The revelation explains his earlier defensive stance toward breaking the rules of the program.

Anna decides she wants to stay with Amir, showing she’s drawn more to him than to the test’s outcomes. Yet Amir urges them not to be together and to obey the test results, creating a tension between desire and rules. The couple’s future becomes precarious as they struggle with what love means if the test decides it for them.

Anna stays over at Amir’s place, but she wakes up and cuts away more of her fingernails in despair. Amir stops her, offering comfort as they face the pain of heartbreak. They wait for her fingers to heal, sharing a fragile moment of mutual support and a guarded smile.