Tuner Review: A Gentle Crime-Romance Among New York Piano Tuners

The film follows Niki (Leo Woodall), a piano tuner with sensitive hearing, working for veteran tuner Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman) in New York. Niki discovers safe-cracking, meets composer Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), and becomes entangled with Uri (Lior Raz), a home-security businessman who robs clients. The story blends romance, comedy, and crime-thriller elements.

The Guardian

Director Daniel Roher, who won the 2022 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for *Navalny*, makes his narrative-feature debut with *Tuner*. The film follows Woodall, known for his breakout TV roles in *The White Lotus* and *One Day*. Reviewers compare its tone to a relaxed, “chill-out” version of the Safdie brothers’ style.

The Guardian

• Leo Woodall as Niki, a tuner with perfect pitch who constantly wears earplugs to protect his heightened hearing.

The Guardian

• Dustin Hoffman as Harry Horowitz, a veteran tuner whose warmth anchors the partnership.

The Guardian

• Havana Rose Liu as Ruthie, a student composer and love interest.

The Guardian

• Lior Raz as Uri, who runs a home-security firm and robs clients.

The Guardian

• Daniel Roher, director and co-writer, moving from documentary to narrative cinema.

The Guardian

The narrative foregrounds class consciousness, showing how affluent clients treat tuners as odd-job workers, a dynamic that underscores socioeconomic divides in urban New York. Niki’s heightened hearing offers a rare cinematic portrayal of sensory sensitivity, intersecting with the crime plot to challenge genre expectations. By blending rom-com warmth with a low-key thriller, the film may influence future indie projects seeking tonal hybridity.

The Guardian

The review notes that the plot becomes predictable once Uri learns of Niki’s safe-cracking skill, describing the story’s turn as a disappointment. Critics argue that the film leans on familiar crime-thriller tropes, reducing its originality despite strong character moments.

The Guardian

• “Leo Woodall’s breakout TV roles in The White Lotus and One Day offered a megawatt charisma, but for his biggest film role to date he dims it to a soft glow with gentle performance opposite Dustin Hoffman as one of a pair of New York piano tuners.” — Guardian reviewer, The Guardian

The Guardian

• “Some of the best moments are the unhurried scenes, Niki and Harry in their clapped out van, shooting the breeze, in a groove of their own.” — Guardian reviewer, The Guardian

The Guardian