‘Tuner’ Hits All The Right Notes For A Crime Thriller

Sometimes a conceptually strong, tightly edited and wonderfully performed crime caper hits the spot just right, and Daniel Roher’s Tuner does exactly that. Though hardly unique in its narrative structure – following the well-worn ‘average guy gets in over his head’ trajectory – Roher mixes it up enough with a unique angle that, along with a wonderful cast, makes his film a consistent delight to watch. 

Niki White (Leo Woodall) starts the film as a piano tuning apprentice under the relentlessly charming Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Previously a musical prodigy, a diagnosis of hyperacusis has given Niki intense sensitivity to sound – making him a perfect fit for the role of tuner where he finds a spark with composer-in-training Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu). 

Turns out, his condition also makes him preternaturally gifted at cracking safes. One night while tuning, runs into ‘security specialist’ Uri (Lior Raz) who breaks into the safes of his wealthy clients and takes goods he insists they won’t miss. Niki makes great money from this, and gets a good thing going with Ruthie – surely nothing could go wrong!

I’ll be real, if you’ve basically ever seen a crime thriller where the lead starts as an everyman, Tuner isn’t set to barrel you over with surprises. Where it sets itself apart is, rather appropriately, in the finer details that have been clearly been fine tuned with utmost care and attention. 

It’s a very tactile movie, with an endless stream of delightful sequences where Niki turns the wheel of a safe trying to find the right point to unlock it. The sound design is wonderful as it fully immerses us in Niki’s hypersensitive world, paired with some truly sensational needle drops that convey the film’s more musical slant. 

Tuner is a delightfully tactile, well-constructed crime film

Tuner’s performances are all charming, too, especially Leo Woodall as Niki. His character’s hyperacusis makes him stand out from other crime thriller main characters both visually and personality-wise, and Woodall makes him extremely likeable even as he veers closer and closer to the point of no return. 

He’s also got amazing chemistry with Havana Rose Liu, which makes the budding relationship between Niki and Ruthie genuinely believable. It develops in a surprisingly authentic way, as does his relationship with an entertaining crew of “security specialists” who are the source of more than a few laughs throughout. 

The script for Tuner isn’t airtight, though – its biggest drawback comes with a second act low point that genuinely feels contrived. It’s hard to explain without outright spoiling the film, but I found a critical decision that Niki makes to be baffling in a way that goes beyond a character flaw. It doesn’t fully detract from the enjoyment of the film, but it feels like the film has to twist itself to get exactly where it wants to go. 

Still, when a film so efficient at playing all the right notes like Tuner comes along, it’s impossible to avoid being charmed. Though it doesn’t do much new, it’s a crime thriller a bit like the pianos that Niki fixes in the movie – what it does shouldn’t shock you, but how finely it’s been tuned just might. 

★★★★

Tuner is in cinemas now.