Title – Tuner (2025)

Director – Daniel Roher (Navalny)

Cast – Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Dustin Hoffman, Jean Reno

Plot – Suffering from the rare hearing disorder hyperacusis that makes him highly susceptible to loud noises, esteemed piano tuner Niki White (Woodall) finds himself in over his head when a group of criminals enlist his safe cracking expertise to help them pull off a series of increasingly dangerous heists.  

“You’ve got to be comfortable with imperfection”

Review by Eddie on 02/09/2026

Each year that passes by cinema fans are gifted a collection of small films that stood out from the crowd, films that snuck out of nowhere with little marketing and fanfare to surprise and engage, one of those films from 2026 is Tuner.

The debut narrative feature film from Oscar winning documentarian filmmaker Daniel Roher, Tuner is far from a groundbreaking dramatic thriller but there’s a lot to engage with and be impressed by here, including star-making turns from leads Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu and a story that takes a unique approach to a familiar set-up, creating a constantly enjoyable and often surprising viewing experience.

Collaborating with co-screenwriter Robert Ramsey, Tuner sees Roher following the increasingly dangerous exploits of Woodall’s talented piano tuner Niki, who under the tutelage of Dustin Hoffman’s (in one of the screen legends better supporting turns of late) industry veteran Harry Horowitz has been able to (pardon the pun) fine tune his skills, leading him into an unexpected life of crime when his unique hearing ability becomes a safe crackers dream.

Expertly edited by Greg O’Bryant and featuring a unique soundscape that includes a noteworthy score courtesy of composer Will Bates, Tuner often feels fresh and exciting and the world of Niki feels alive and vibrant, taking what could’ve been a generic run of the mill story into a fresh direction that at times feels like a film the Safdie Brothers might’ve made in their Good Time and Uncut Gems heydays, ensuring that Tuner has a great balance of white knuckle and dramatic flows.

Throughout this tale the thing that stands out most about Roher’s feature is the performance of Woodall, an actor many would recognise as a familiar face from the likes of TV series One Day and features such as Nuremberg and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the up-and-coming British star is a revelation here and fast-tracks his rise amongst the ranks as one of Hollywood’s next big things, delivering an all-encompassing performance that is going to have him on the radar of many top-tier directors who are desperate to tap into the talent he has at his fingertips.

A complicated character, Niki is an introverted soul who finds himself having to go outside of his comfort zone in more ways than one, including in his new relationship with Liu’s professional musician Ruthie, with the Bottoms and Lurker star equally as impressive as Woodall here, and Woodall is all over the performance here, expertly able to bring the many ingredients of Niki’s journey to life in a memorable way.

With so much to like about Roher’s first foray into this type of feature film space, it’s disappointing that the films strong first two thirds fall a part in the films last act, with Roher losing grip on the narrative with a few to many coincidences and rushed storytelling components that bring the film down as it races towards the endgame, even if its closing moments gain some goodwill back.

Final Say –

One of the year’s most pleasant surprises that is sure to make many a viewer a firm believer in the talents of its lead duo, Tuner is an exciting evolution of director Daniel Roher and a highly enjoyable thriller in its own right.

3 1/2 packets of Takis out of 5