Feel like giving up on the Toronto dating scene? You’re not alone — and apparently, you’re not beyond help. To celebrate the highly anticipated theatrical release of The Bride!, Warner Bros. Pictures Canada has launched a twisted out­of-home campaign that’s stopping traffic (and possibly raising the dead) in downtown Toronto.

A series of cryptic billboards have taken over major downtown intersections, including Sankofa Square and Richmond & Spadina, confronting Torontonians with obtrusive questions: “Emotionally scarred and looking for love?” and “Is your love life lacking a pulse?” The messages direct singles and curious passersby to hotline number 855-274-3337 (855-BRIDE-DR) offering support by Dr. Euphronious – the groundbreaking scientist­matchmaker from The Bride!

The Bride!, from acclaimed filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories. Christian Bale stars as the lonely “Frank” opposite Jessie Buckley as The Bride – a pair of outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance.

Those who dial the number are greeted by a vintage-inspired receptionist, thanking callers for their interest and inviting them to experience her unconventional methods firsthand in theatres. Callers are also prompted with a surprise call-to-action for a chance to win special prizes.

Blending dark romance with a tongue-in-cheek nod to the realities of modern dating, the activation extends the offbeat universe of The Bride! beyond the screen and into the real world – no appointment required. (Doctor not licensed. Love not guaranteed.)

Watch The Bride! only in theatres and IMAX on March 6. Tickets are on sale now!

About THE BRIDE!:

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely “Frank” (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz.

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theatres and IMAX® in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

We’re thrilled to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s THE BRIDE! in Montreal and Vancouver on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

SYNOPSIS:

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz. 

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell. 

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theatres and IMAX in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. In the comments indicate your City and tag a friend you’re taking! Multiple entries allowed.

Rules and regulations here.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release THE BRIDE!, only in theatres and IMAX in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will are delighted to give readers a chance to win a copy of Oscar-nominated HAMNET on 4k UHD.

EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:

FAMILY IS FOREVER — Step behind the scenes of HAMNET and witness the heartwarming connections forged between Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and the young “Shakespeare children,” culminating in a moving performance of Macbeth’s witches and unforgettable moments with director Chloé Zhao.
CULTIVATING CREATIVITY — Discover how Chloé Zhao’s visionary direction and infectious warmth inspired Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and Maggie O’Farrell to bring HAMNET to life. Join the cast and crew as they share joyful memories and celebrate the creative magic behind the scenes.
RECREATING THE TUDOR PERIOD — Explore the extraordinary craftsmanship that built HAMNET’s immersive Tudor world, from the stunning recreation of the Globe Theatre to the meticulous period costumes and sets, this featurette invites you to experience the artistry that made history come alive.
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY WITH CHLOÉ ZHAO

A digital purchase provides a limited license to access the content. See the retailer’s terms for details.

FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Noah Jupe, Jacobi Jupe
Casting by: Nina Gold CSA
Music By: Max Richter
Costume Designer: Malgosia Turzanska
Edited By: Chloé ZhaoACE, Affonso Goncalves ACE
Production Designer: Fiona Crombie
Director of Photography: Łukasz Żal PSC
Executive Producers: Kristie Macosko Kreiger, Chloé Zhao, Laurie Borg
Produced By: Liza Marshall p.g.a, Pippa Harris p.g.a, Nicolas Gonda p.g.a, Steven Spielberg p.g.a, Sam Mendes p.g.a
Based on the Novel: Hamnet
Written By: Maggie O’Farrell
Screenplay By: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
Directed by: Chloé Zhao

TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K UHD:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285473 (US) / 191329285633 (CDN)
Disc Size: BD 100
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:11

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285619 (US) / 191329285480 (CDN)
Disc Size: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:11

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285466 (US) / 191329285626 (CDN)
Disc Size: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:19

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or IG. Tag a friend who also wants to see this in the comments! Multiple entries allowed.

Rules and regulations here.

Hamnet is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on March 3, 2026.

Two-time Academy Award®-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, The Rider, Eternals) brings her most emotionally moving work yet to the poetic drama, HAMNET, arriving on digital* platforms to buy or rent starting February 3, 2026, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD on March 3, 2026, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Winner of two Golden Globe Awards for Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Actress Drama, Focus Features’ HAMNET has now received eight Academy Award® nominations for Best Picture of the Year, Best Director, Actress in a Leading Role, Adapted Screenplay, Costume Design, Achievement in Casting, Original Score and Production Design. The film has also earned 11 BAFTA Award nominations for Best Film, Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Score, Best British Film, Best Direction, Best Makeup & Hair, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design and Best Production Design.

Based on Maggie O’Farrell’s New York Times bestselling novel, HAMNET tells the untold story behind one of Shakespeare’s most memorable works, Hamlet. It is an inspiring journey of love and the creative brilliance that shaped a legacy and became Shakespeare’s greatest masterpiece. Academy Award® nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun, Gladiator II) artfully portrays William Shakespeare with emotional vulnerability and intensity, while Jessie Buckley’s (Wild Rose, The Lost Daughter) Golden Globe winning performance as his wife Agnes has been hailed as “the performance of a lifetime – and for all time” (AFI). Chloé Zhao’s HAMNET is earning extraordinary acclaim as a film that made Bong Joon Ho say, “I felt healed watching this film,” moved Denis Villeneuve “both times” he saw it, and earned Jane Fonda’s praise as “a perfect film.” Commended for its period-accurate authenticity and immersive visual storytelling, HAMNET celebrates the power of imagination and the creative spirit. Captivating bonus features include three compelling behind-the-scenes featurettes, an exclusive commentary from Zhao herself offering an intimate director’s perspective, and an exploration on how the Tudor Period was created on set.

HAMNET also features moving performances from two-time Academy Award® nominee Emily Watson (Hilary and Jackie, Breaking the Waves) and award-winning actor Joe Alwyn (The Favourite, Harriet). With breathtaking cinematography, the film was photographed by Academy Award® nominee Łukasz Żal (The Zone of Interest, Ida), and masterfully co-produced by three-time BAFTA Award nominee Liza Marshall (“The State,” “The Long Firm”), Academy Award® nominee Pippa Harris (1917, “Call the Midwife”), Nicolas Gonda (The Tree of Life, Age Out), Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes (1917, American Beauty), and three-time Academy Award®-winning producer Steven Spielberg (Schindler’s List, The Fabelmans, Jurassic Park franchise).

EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT WHEN YOU PURCHASE AT PARTICIPATING RETAILERS:

FAMILY IS FOREVER — Step behind the scenes of HAMNET and witness the heartwarming connections forged between Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, and the young “Shakespeare children,” culminating in a moving performance of Macbeth’s witches and unforgettable moments with director Chloé Zhao.
CULTIVATING CREATIVITY — Discover how Chloé Zhao’s visionary direction and infectious warmth inspired Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, and Maggie O’Farrell to bring HAMNET to life. Join the cast and crew as they share joyful memories and celebrate the creative magic behind the scenes.
RECREATING THE TUDOR PERIOD — Explore the extraordinary craftsmanship that built HAMNET’s immersive Tudor world, from the stunning recreation of the Globe Theatre to the meticulous period costumes and sets, this featurette invites you to experience the artistry that made history come alive.
DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY WITH CHLOÉ ZHAO

• A digital purchase provides a limited license to access the content. See the retailer’s terms for details.
  For more information on HAMNET, please visit:
  Website: https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/movies/hamnet
  Press Release: https://www.universalpicturesathome.com/press-release/hamnet-press-release
  Trailer: https://uni.pictures/HAMNET_Trailer
  X: @hamnetmovie | @UniPicsAtHome
  Instagram: @hamnetmovie | @UniPicsAtHome
  Facebook: /hamnetmovie | /UniPicsAtHome
  TikTok: @focusfeatures | @UniPicsAtHome

FILMMAKERS:
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Noah Jupe, Jacobi Jupe
Casting by: Nina Gold CSA
Music By: Max Richter
Costume Designer: Malgosia Turzanska
Edited By: Chloé ZhaoACE, Affonso Goncalves ACE
Production Designer: Fiona Crombie
Director of Photography: Łukasz Żal PSC
Executive Producers: Kristie Macosko Kreiger, Chloé Zhao, Laurie Borg
Produced By: Liza Marshall p.g.a, Pippa Harris p.g.a, Nicolas Gonda p.g.a, Steven Spielberg p.g.a, Sam Mendes p.g.a
Based on the Novel: Hamnet
Written By: Maggie O’Farrell
Screenplay By: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
Directed by: Chloé Zhao

TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K UHD:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285473 (US) / 191329285633 (CDN)
Disc Size: BD 100
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:11

TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAY™:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285619 (US) / 191329285480 (CDN)
Disc Size: BD 50
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Atmos for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:11

TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD:
Street Date: March 3, 2026
UPC Number: 191329285466 (US) / 191329285626 (CDN)
Disc Size: DVD 9
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic content, some strong sexuality, and partial nudity)
Languages/Subtitles: English, French Canadian, Latin American Spanish
Sound: English (Dolby Digital 5.1 for Feature, Dolby Digital 2.0 for Bonus Content), French Canadian (Dolby Digital 5.1), Latin American Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Run Time: 2:05:19

ABOUT UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT:
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE – www.uphe.com) is a unit of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG). UFEG produces, acquires, markets and distributes filmed entertainment worldwide in various media formats for theatrical, home entertainment, television and other distribution platforms, as well as consumer products, interactive gaming and live entertainment. The global division includes Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Brand Development, Fandango, DreamWorks Animation Film and Television. UFEG is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.

A reminder tiff50 People’s Choice winner and Golden Globe winning HAMNET is now Playing in Theatres. Here’s a super-cute video of the Cast wrapping, shared earlier by Director Chloé Zhao!

Directed by: Chloé Zhao
Screenplay by: Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell
Based on the novel by MAGGIE O’FARRELL
Producers: Liza Marshall, p.g.a., Pippa Harris, p.g.a., Nicolas Gonda, p.g.a., Sam Mendes, p.g.a., Steven Spielberg, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Kristie Macosko Krieger, Chloé Zhao, Laurie Borg
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn
Synopsis: From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, HAMNET tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.

THE BRIDE! is in theatres only on March 6, 2026. Today, we get a new Trailer! It is Jessie Buckley‘s moment!

About the Film

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz.

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theatres and IMAX in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

Focus Features, Universal Pictures Canada x Mr. Will are delighted to give Readers a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of tiff50 People’s Choice Award winning HAMNET.

Screenings take place as follows:

TORONTO

Wednesday, November 19

Cineplex Varsity 

7:00PM

VANCOUVER

Wednesday, November 19

Cineplex International Village

7:00PM

MONTREAL

Wednesday, November 19

Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal

7:30PM

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK or IG. In the comments tell us which City and tag 1 friend you’re taking. You can enter multiple times. You must be following on the platform you are entering on.

Rules and regulations here.

Focus Features and Universal Pictures Canada release HAMNET November 27, 2025.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures Canada/Focus Features)

From Maggie Gyllenhaal (Academy Award-nominated writer/director of The Lost Daughter) and starring Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley and Academy Award winner Christian Bale comes THE BRIDE! A bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.

A lonely Frankenstein (Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr. Euphronious (five-time Oscar nominee Annette Bening) to create a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman and The Bride (Buckley) is born. What ensues is beyond what either of them imagined: Murder! Possession! A wild and radical cultural movement! And outlaw lovers in a wild and combustible romance!

The film stars Buckley, Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, with Bening, Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar winner Penélope Cruz. Maggie Gyllenhaal directs from her own screenplay and produces alongside Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler and Osnat Handelsman Keren. The executive producers are Carla Raij, David Webb and Courtney Kivowitz.

Gyllenhaal is supported behind the camera by a team of award-winning film artisans, including director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Karen Murphy, editor Dylan Tichenor, music supervisor Randall Poster, composer Hildur Gudnadóttir and costume designer Sandy Powell.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents A First Love Films / In The Current Company Production, A Maggie Gyllenhaal Film: THE BRIDE!. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, only in theatres and IMAX® in North America on March 6, 2026, and internationally beginning 4 March 2026.

By Nicholas Porteous

In Hamnet, Chloe Zhao enlivens an enduring masterpiece with a beautiful work of speculative fiction surrounding the real-life origins of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, adapted from a novel by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s a dark and dramatic counterpart to Shakespeare in Love, working backwards from the classic text (and the very little we know of Shakespeare’s life) to uncover a primal story of how we process our pain through art. In this case, it’s about a marriage, immeasurably rocked by the death of a child.

You likely know the broad strokes of the tale already: William (Paul Mescal) and Agnes (Jessie Buckley) meet, fall in love, and raise a family, until London pulls him away. The plague strikes, their only son Hamnet dies. Shakespeare is absent at the crucial moment. Shortly thereafter, Hamlet debuts. One of the great works of art. The connection between Hamlet the play and Hamnet the lost child is mysterious, but Hamnet will make you believe in Shakespeare’s potentially not-so-hidden intentions.

Bring. Kleenex. My press screening–typically more muted than a regular TIFF audience–sounded like a symphony of sniffles throughout, and I doubt yours will be any different. The ideas of enduring loss, love and transcendent creativity are simply too powerful. Jessie Buckley is the embodiment of motherly grief and spiritual devastation, and Zhao’s naturalistic, airy approach to the material enables both Buckley and Mescal to discover profound moments of pain in the spaces between their words. The children are also extremely impressive, with Hamnet himself (Jacobi Jupe) delivering more than a few stunning moments. The movie lives and dies by our memory of this child, and Zhao’s decision to put him front and center pays off enormously–rather than abstracting him for the audience to project upon. It’s near-impossible for me to imagine Hamnet won’t be recognized this awards season.

Hamnet screens at TIFF ’25:

Mon. Sept 8 at 6:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre 

Thurs. Sept 11 at 2:00 PM at Royal Alexandra Theatre

Sat. Sept 13 at 12:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre

By Mr. Will Wong

Christos Nikou makes his English feature directorial debut in Toronto-filmed FINGERNAILS. It’s quirky, cute and will make you squeamish. All of that in one sitting.

Though the Film dons a nostalgia to it, it is set in the future. Couples now have the ability to test if in fact their love is true at an institute specializing in finger nail tests, putting couples through intimacy-enhancing activities. Anna (Jessie Buckley) lands a job at the institute after testing “positive” for true love with her partner Ryan (Jeremy Allen White). Something doesn’t sit right still. She takes on this job secretly, telling Ryan she’s teaching at an elementary school. Anna works with Amir and while working with the institute’s clientele, they form a bond that has Anna questioning if her true “positive” with Ryan is in fact real.

Nikou tells an age old love triangle story through a new lens, opting for 35mm which together with the styling and soundtrack of the Film, make us feel we’re in the past, even though we’re in the future. His commentary on society’s dependence on technology doing the thinking for us makes this a biting satire, but with a unique mixture of grotesque (yes, these fingernail pulling will have you covering your eyes!), yet charming at once.

Buckley and Ahmed have a believable chemistry, while White isn’t given quite as much to work with, painting the mundane backdrop whereby Anna‘s life is set against. Nikou crafts something thought-provoking though it takes a different route to get there.

FINGERNAILS screens at TIFF ’23 as follows:

Tuesday, September 12
Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre
Premium, Descriptive Sound

Wednesday, September 13
TIFF Bell Lightbox
Closed Captioning