Did you know it’s inflammation, not cholesterol, that can harm you? I didn’t, but thanks to Dustin Hoffman’s character, Harry Horowitz, I do now. He’s an octogenarian, fast-talking, funny guy who loves giving life advice in Tuner.
Harry ran his one-man piano-tuning business in New York City for several decades before hiring Niki, a young and aloof guy played by Leo Woodall, known for The White Lotus and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025). While Harry is losing his hearing as he ages, Niki suffers from hyperacusis. This condition makes normal sounds intolerably loud and requires him to wear earplugs all the time. Once a piano prodigy, he hasn’t played since his diagnosis.
Tuner premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2025. The Toronto International Film Festival followed a month later, where Sundance producers first saw this funny, romantic thriller. They selected it for their Spotlight program, highlighting outstanding films that debuted at earlier festivals.
Daniel Roher directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Ramsay. Roher mostly works as a documentary filmmaker. His 2022 documentary Navalny won the Best Documentary Award at the 2023 Oscars. Tuner marks his first narrative film. It also aired at Sundance along with his other recent film, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026). Roher clearly achieves a lot.
When Harry forgets the code to his safe after storing his hearing aids, Niki uses his condition to open it by listening closely to the mechanisms. Later, Harry is rushed to the hospital following another heart attack. His wife, Marla (Tovah Feldshuh), confesses to Niki that Harry hadn’t paid his health insurance premiums. Niki’s next job is at a flashy mansion owned by wealthy entrepreneurs who trust their security team too much. They turn out to be a Lithuanian crime family and persuade Niki to crack a safe for money he desperately needs to help Harry.
This situation is convenient, but the heartfelt parent-son relationship he shares with Harry and Marla makes the crime aspect feel more integrated. Hoffman might not be in Tuner as much as audiences want, but Woodall’s portrayal of Niki captivates.
Most reviewers call Tuner a thriller, but it blends genres, including romance and comedy. “It’s not about hearing. It’s about feeling,” Harry explains, capturing the essence of this sharp film that has more depth than it appears.
The clever dialogue isn’t just Hoffman’s forte. One of my favourite lines comes from Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu, also in Bottoms) as Niki walks her to conservatory class. “Some jerk walks me to class in G Minor,” she says a day before they start dating. Usually neat and composed, Ruthie provides a refreshing break from the film’s crime elements.
Tuner is reminiscent of Soderbergh’s Ocean trilogy with its stylish, fast-cut montages and energetic pacing. However, whereas Soderbergh employs these techniques for elaborate heists in glamorous locations, Roher uses them to heighten mundane activities. It’s humorously engaging to watch Niki’s hyper-sensitive ears turn everyday tasks—like tuning a piano, eating, or playing games—into thrilling scenes. Editor Greg O’Bryant cuts these otherwise ordinary moments as though he’s editing a car chase.
Then there’s the soundtrack. Herbie Hancock collaborates with composer Will Bates, adding an immediate influence: improvisational piano lines and occasional synth beats. In a film focused on music, it’s easy to see how the score becomes a character in its own right.
While the editing resembles Soderbergh’s style, the story focuses on character-driven drama. In a lesser film, this slick approach might overshadow the emotional connections. The chemistry between Liu and Woodall feels prickly, tender, and sometimes awkwardly funny. It’s just what you want from a film that seeks to find beauty in imperfect characters.
If Tuner struggles anywhere, it’s in the final twenty minutes when Roher’s control over pacing and tone falters under the burden of a complicated plot. Nonetheless, the story still manages to tie up loose ends convincingly. Seasoned moviegoers might predict its twists, and it may seem too mainstream for some arthouse fans. Still, Tuner should easily find its audience among those who recognise quality cinema, especially those who appreciate more than just a perfectly tuned ear.
