A charming drama immersed in the sounds of crime

Sound design often gets sidelined in favor of a movie’s visual assets or the narrative. It’s most noticeable when the movie is loud as what’s happening on screen, but in a subdued movie like Tuner, sound design can take center stage. The narrative feature debut from Oscar-winning documentarian Daniel Roher (Navalny, The AI Doc: Or How I Became An Apocaloptimist), immerses the audience in the experience of a character with hyperacusis, an extreme sensitivity to sound that makes everyday noise practically intolerable. As Niki (Leo Woodall) puts on his noise-canceling headphones and earplugs, the sounds of life around him get muffled out, but when alarms and air horns break through the barriers, they cause him extreme pain—something echoed by how these effects sound in the movie. 

Because of his condition, Niki has a gift for hearing sounds most people wouldn’t notice, making him a suitable apprentice for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), a semi-retired piano tuner. As Harry falls ill and bills start to mount, Niki struggles with how to keep the small business afloat just tuning pianos. However, a chance encounter with Uri (Lior Raz) and his nephews leads Niki to reveal that he also has a knack for safe-cracking, leading him to an unlikely source of income, stealing just a little bit from people who Uri determines to have too much. Unable to walk away from Uri’s demands to take on more jobs, Niki finds himself and his composer girlfriend Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) in potential danger.

Written by Roher and Robert Ramsey, Tuner borrows some well-worn stories about a decent guy falling into crime to pay off debts, like a far less intense Breaking Bad. And like the scorpion jacket-wearing antihero in Drive, Niki’s particular set of skills makes him suited to make some quick illicit cash since his day job isn’t enough to pay off Harry’s debt or help his wife (Tovah Feldshuh). While Niki briefly gets caught up in Uri’s game, he’s clearly always bothered by it, and more or less browbeaten by the imposing man who only seems to want more and more now that he’s found a safe-cracking golden goose. As Niki falls in with the wrong crowd, Tuner takes on a noir-like tone. This means that certain lines of dialogue don’t always land sincerely, but Roher and Ramsey sustain the suspense around what’s at stake for Niki and those he loves.

Woodall may have been the heartthrob of 2024’s One Day and Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, but he gives a much more serious and somber performance as Niki. He’s the heart of the movie: a dutiful apprentice listening and nodding to all of Harry’s jokes, conflicted about what to do when Uri won’t stop calling, and guarded about his hearing sensitivity. Yet, when Ruthie locks eyes with Niki, Woodall’s performance changes, no longer the tough, quiet man but hopeful and vulnerable, and soon enough Liu’s performance as the tough and determined composition student also softens, almost like her character is falling in love in front of the camera. These are subtle but tender scenes, ones that are felt as deeply as the changes of music underscoring their growing relationship.

To match the protagonist’s piano-tuning skills, Will Bates’ score is full of jazzy piano numbers and songs like “Almost Like Being In Love” and “Sinnerman” (the latter of which might be used in too many movies, great as it is). Editor Greg O’Bryant picks up the story’s tempo with montages, intercutting scenes between the smiling new couple with Niki’s successful outings with Uri, invoking the bubbly high of when everything in life seems to be going swell. 

But where Tuner truly shines is in the work of Oscar-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn and the film’s sound team as they carefully recreate Niki’s world through the film’s engrossing soundscape. Roher’s technically impressive approach to this element weaves itself organically throughout the film and its story, setting the crime drama apart from more typical crowdpleasers.

Director: Daniel Roher
Writer: Daniel Roher, Robert Ramsey
Starring: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, Dustin Hoffman
Release Date: May 22, 2026

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