TL;DR – A fascinating exploration of a man at the precipice of a bad decision for good reasons.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

Tuner Review Introduction

There are some people you know that when they give a film recommendation, you need to check it out, because whether you vibe with a film or not, their recommendations are always interesting. Today is just such a film, one that has intrigued me from afar, but even more so now that I have seen it up close.

So, to set the scene, deep in New York City lives famed piano tuner Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman), who is training his apprentice, Niki White (Leo Woodall). Harry has progressive dementia, and Niki has perfect pitch but lives with hyperacusis, a sensitivity to sound, which means that he must wear hearing protection for most of his life, especially around loud noises. After being forced to come back to a house late at night to tune a piano when all the tradespeople have gone, he may have helped some criminals crack a safe. It is something that he would entertain, until Harry is hospitalised, money is needed, and maybe this is his way out.  

Sound Design

For a film where sound is so important, I am glad to say that this care is not just found in the narrative but built into the film. The way the film depicts Niki’s hyperacusis is ingrained into the fabric of the film; it is not just a gimmick, it is the reality of the world and film. The foley work in this film is phenomenal; the way it brings you in and makes everything tangible. All of these choices help create the tone and layers to the film, shaping it into something fantastic. Add to this a musical score that shows such love for the piano that it becomes intoxicating. Combined, it is a level of care that I think I have only seen before in Sound of Metal.

Narrative

What Tuner does is take a relatively straightforward scenario of someone getting in way over their head and imbues it with real humanity. You do really feel for Niki White and the mess he has gotten himself into because Leo Woodall brings a real humanity to the role, so even when he is messing up, you still want him to succeed. The next is because you can see just how someone finds themselves swimming in the deep end when they thought they were taking a stroll through the shallows. Making all those elements connect comes from a solid foundation, but also from the commitment from the cast not to slip into caricatures, even though they get close. While it is not moving at a quick pace, and you do have to excuse the coincidence, each shift in the narrative hits at the right place where it needs to.

Recommendation

In the end, do we recommend Tuner? Yes, we would. Leo Woodall brings life to a character caught at a critical moment in his life, where choices have frank ramifications. There is a real heart and care in every aspect of this film that translates so well to the screen. One of the rare films that I would recommend watching at home so you can have your headphones on, or at least in a cinema with very good surround sound.  

Have you watched Tuner? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked Tuner, we would recommend Roofman to you because it also understands the complexities of humanity in an interesting way.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Bluesky at @Tldrmovrev, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of Tuner
Directed by – Daniel Roher
Written by – Daniel Roher & Robert Ramsey
Music by – Will Bates & Marius de Vries
Cinematography by – Lowell A. Meyer
Edited by – Greg O’Bryant
Production/Distribution Companies – English Breakfast Productions, Elevation Pictures, Black Bear Pictures, & VVS Films
Starring – Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, Nissan Sakira, Gil Cohen, & Jean Yoon
With – Ellyn Jameson, Tovah Feldshuh, David Reale, Nissan Sakira, & Herbie Hancock
Rating – Australia: MA15+; Canada: 14A; Germany: 12; New Zealand: R; United Kingdom: 15; United States: R