It’s not that often you see a film like Tuner. A cross-genre drama that is part romance, part heist movie, with more than a whiff of 70s paranoia thriller about it. It takes a simple yet effective premise and allows both the scenario and the character development to flesh out. At the same time, it puts a British actor front and centre as the lead, instantly turning him into a star in the making.

Niki is a piano tuner with a unique condition called hyperacusis. This makes his hearing incredibly sensitive to loud noises and capable of detecting even the slightest sounds. When his boss, Harry, is hospitalised and doesn’t have money to pay for the medical treatment, Niki finds himself teaming up with a group of safe crackers who can use his talents to hear the dials click, while at the same time building a relationship with composer and musical prodigy Ruthie.

Documentary director Daniel Roher, who won an Oscar for his film, Navalny, tackles his first feature with the air of confidence of someone who could have been making dramas for years. Along with co-writer Robert Ramsey, they seem to understand that, in a film where sound is an important element, the whole thing is just how quietly underplayed. Even though it’s not an overlong film, they pack enough in to keep the intrigue going, while also giving proper character arcs to all involved.

It’s a smart script, full of wit, that manages to blend the crime sections seamlessly with the sweet romance between Niki and Ruthie. It never feels crowbarred in, but plays out naturally. At the same time, the heist parts are just as carefully delivered, and Roher manages to inject just enough tension in watching someone juggling with the dials of a safe, and incorporating a gang of crooks that don’t come at you as mindless heavies, but even they have interesting character arcs.

It almost feels like a relationship movie, with the love story between Niki and Ruthie, the relationship between Niki and the lead crook, Uri, and the relationships between Niki and his elder partner, Harry, and between Niki and his wife, Marla. Any of their stories could be taken out and developed into a completely different movie. You find yourself caring for everyone, even, to a point, Uri, until the final act when he does show his true colours.

This is also a film about music, not just about piano tuning, but about watching Ruthie develop her musical piece, as well as a soundtrack that is unbelievably cool. With some neat use of jazz standards (there’s even a cameo from jazz maestro Herbie Hancock), this adds to the calmness of the film, so laid back, it could be wearing dark glasses and smoking.

To make all this work, you need a strong cast, and Roher has done just that. Dustin Hoffman doesn’t have too many scenes, but when he does appear, you remember just how good he is as Harry, a man full of musical stories and taking Niki under his wing. Jean Reno also pops up in an extended cameo and in an unexpected role, considering his past movie CV. Lior Raz makes for a convincing villain, Uri, but even he isn’t as vicious as you would expect, making you think that it’s fine what he and his gang are doing.

Havana Rose Liu, who you might remember from the underrated comedy Bottoms, is terrific as Ruthie, a girl who wins the heart of this lonely piano tuner, but it is Leo Woodall who commands the film as Niki. A man who has to wear ear defenders, caught up in a world he doesn’t want to be part of, he underplays the character with his softly spoken delivery, and you instantly warm to him and wish there was another way for him to get the money for his friend. It’s truly a star turn.

Tuner will probably be lost among the big summer movies, but if you want something that is not loud and bombastic, this is the perfect film. Fresh, original, smart, and sassy, I hope it becomes a sleeper surprise.

4 out of 5

Director: Daniel Roher

Starring Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno, Gil Cohen, Nissan Sakira, Jean Yoon

Written by: Daniel Roher and Robert Ramsey

Running Time: 107 mins

Cert: 15

Release date: 29th May 2026