Leo Woodall, known for his breakout TV roles in The White Lotus and One Day, brings a softer charisma to his biggest film role yet. In Tuner, he stars opposite Dustin Hoffman as one of two New York piano tuners. The pair are a delight to watch in this easy, unforced drama that blends romcom moments with a relaxed crime thriller. It feels like the Safdie brothers in chill-out mode.
A Tale of Two Tuners
Woodall plays Niki, a tuner with exceptionally sensitive hearing who constantly wears earplugs to block out the deafeningly loud world. Niki works for veteran tuner Harry Horowitz, played with irresistible warmth by Hoffman. Their highly skilled work is a running joke—rich clients often treat them like odd job men, asking them to unblock a loo while they are there.
When Harry forgets the combination to his safe, Niki discovers he has a talent for safe-cracking thanks to his sensitive hearing. He also meets student composer Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) while tuning a piano at a music conservatory. Their meeting is nicely handled: Ruthie is initially irritated by the disruption, barely acknowledging Niki until she realises he has perfect pitch and can identify every note she plays. The scene taps into an undercurrent of class consciousness.
Predictable Turns but Surprising Characters
The script is co-written by director Daniel Roher, a documentary maker who won an Oscar for his 2022 documentary Navalny. Tuner is his feature-film debut. It is a disappointment when the story takes predictable turns. Niki meets Uri (Lior Raz), who runs a home security company and has a side hustle robbing his clients. As soon as Uri gets wind of Niki's safe-cracking skills, the direction becomes clear.
Still, the characters hold surprises even if the plot does not. Uri is not your average mob psycho but a shrewd psychological manipulator. 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.
Tuner is out on 22 May in the US, 29 May in the UK, and 11 June in Australia.
