by Nick Ferro, Editor
The piano, in my opinion, is the most beautiful instrument to listen to, especially when a master is at work. Long have I desired to posses the talent to play this instrument myself, but despite my shortcomings I still enjoy listening to those who can. In a way, this longing for the instrument may have helped in relating to the main character, Nicky, in the latest movie from Daniel Roher, Tuner (I am only just now realizing we share a name… don’t judge).
Nicky (Leo Woodall), the titular Tuner, works for Harry (Dustin Hoffman) as a piano tuner’s apprentice. Right off the bat it’s apparent how special their relationship of mentor/mentee is as the audience is introduced to the small world of piano tuning and repair. As the story progresses we learn that when Nicky was a kid he developed an “allergy” to sound. This oversensitivity is what allows him to be as good as he is at his current occupation. After meeting Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), a talented compositional music student, while on a job at a prestigious music school, we learn that Nicky not only has perfect pitch, but was a child prodigy himself, until he was afflicted with his condition. Tuner might have been a pretty average romantic dramady about learning to live with an affliction while those around you live out your dream and the perils of everyday life with an impairment. But Tuner is anything but average. After Harry suffers a heart attack and lands in the hospital with mounting bills, Nicky takes a job which puts him in the path of Uri, Yoni, and Benny (Lior Raz, Gil Cohen, and Nissan Sakira). They run a security company that makes some extra cash by stealing from their clients. Nicky helps them crack a safe with his “super hearing” which earns him enough money to make a dent in Harry’s medical bills. Reluctantly, Nicky continues to work for Uri in hopes of clearing Harry’s debt, despite his good nature.
What I love about Tuner is that Nicky is always a sympathetic character despite taking a trip down the path of relieving the unobservant rich of their taken-for-granted treasures. The movie does a fantastic job establishing that he is a good man simply through his relationship with Harry and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Faeldshuh), as his surrogate parents. He is timid and quiet and yet despite being dealt a poor hand, he doesn’t come off as bitter or angry. His relationship with Ruthie evolves into another aspect of what proves that he is a good person, in how he adores her. Despite her living the life that he was destined for that has been ripped away from him. Even his relationship with Uri and Co. shows that he isn’t naïve enough to think what he’s doing isn’t wrong, but he is fooled into thinking that they are okay people. To be clear, they are not okay people. But as Zangief would say, “just because they are bad guys, doesn’t mean they are bad guys.” This movie doesn’t make any of it’s character’s one note, they are all complex real people.
If there was one thing I would knock Tuner for doing a bit too much is its use of convenience to move the story along. Without spoiling too much of the plot, how Nicky meets Ruthie and then how they get to spend time together to develop a relationship and then how his life as a safe cracker clashes with his life as a piano tuner leading to the final act conflict is all VERY convenient. But one could argue, that’s how you make a story and when these conveniences are done in a way that both serves the story and the characters while still presenting the audience with an enjoyable and emotional rollercoaster ride, it’s okay to give it a pass. From the music to the story, to the emotional depth of the characters, and the performances, I had such an amazing experience with Tuner that I can’t even be mad that Ruthie’s pipes just happened to leak all over her piano giving her a reason to call the cute piano repair man she just met twice in two days.
Speaking of the performances, obviously Hoffman can do no wrong with his charming grandpa routine. He’s had his hook in me since 1991. But as for Woodall and Liu, this was my first experience with them, and I couldn’t believe how drawn into this film I was due to their stage presence. Both individually and their shared chemistry had me glued to every scene they appeared. Liu is absolutely gorgeous and commands her scenes with a presence that makes you feel that she is out of Nicky’s league. Simultaneously she is able to subtly convey a sweetness and humor to her character that softens Ruthie when her guard starts to crack. I am anxious to start following her career to see where she might pop up next. As for Woodall, he does something in this film that transfixed me completely. His character struggles with music, he never wants to play the piano for anyone, he hates when Harry talks him up to people, and he holds so much emotion of a life lost, and you can see it all behind his eyes and through his body language. There is a moment when he is frustrated with their circumstances and touches a piano but then recoils almost to show that in a moment of weakness he has reached out for something that used to be a lifeline only to realize it’s something which causes him even more pain. Woodall conveys all that in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment on top of a dozen other moments throughout which makes it impossible not to fall in love with Nicky as a character.
Tuner surprised me. I was not expecting it to have such an impact and really the ending is what solidified it as my new favorite film of the year. When the consequences of his actions catch up to Nicky he is both punished and rewarded in a way that I truly did not see coming leading to what some might call bittersweet, but what I call perfect. I can’t wait to watch this again and I would highly recommend you check it out in theaters. This is a movie that uses sound in a deep and meaningful way, and the enhanced speaker system of your local cinema is bound to elevate the viewing experience. Tuner has everything I look for when I go to the movies, and it feels nice when that feeling of “this is why we go to movies” hits me on a random Thursday in May. I think 2026 has been an embarrassment of riches at the movies and that is certainly music to my ears.
Rating: Loved It
Tuner is currently available to watch in theaters.
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