“… there are no car chases and Niki doesn’t throw a punch. But this film certainly does.”
Con Nats
4.5 Pianio keys
Opens 1st June 2026
Music and drama are a great combination and one Hollywood loves. It’s usually a musician that stars and their journey to fame that features. Tuner takes a different path to make music the magic ingredient with a story about a piano tuner and his rise to infamy.
Niki (Leo Woodall) works for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), a garrulous muso who was good friends with Herbie Hancock. He’s known as Tuna which is nice play on their job.
They’re piano tuners which requires sensitive expert hearing. Niki’s hearing is so sensitive, due to a rare health condition (hyperacusis) he wears ear buds and headphones to cancel out noise as it’s painful for him.
Nicki is so perfect at picking notes, he impresses attractive composer/pianist Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) and a dodgy security contractor Uri (Lior Raz) after he uses it to crack a safe.
Harry has a fall and ends up in hospital and a bill for $36,000. (Don’t ever complain about Medicare.) Niki succumbs to temptation, falls in love and life is good. What could go wrong? It does.
This is a very well shot and directed thriller. The editing is tight. The music is a mixture of blues and classical and plays more as background music than forewarning.
Director Daniel Roher has done a fine job drawing out great performances. He is usually a documentary maker and his last project was Navalny which won an Academy Award.
Leo Woodall (White Lotus, Nuremberg) as Niki is spot on as a humble introvert with hearing issues. The chemistry with Rose Lui (Lurker; Power Ballad) feels real and she is great talent in the making. Lior Raz as Uri plays the typical villain with relish and Tovah Feldshah as Harry’s wife, Marla, is also convincing.
Dustin Hoffman has a small role, but he’s acting as if he owns the film. And watch for Jean Reno as the Maestro. One of his lines is an ironic gem that elicits laughs. The fact these two legends agreed to this film shows their respect for this script.
Many are calling this a throwback to 80s and 90s character driven thrillers. Sorry, but good writing is timeless. While the script follows old formulas of redemption, it’s not always predictable. While there are some violent scenes, there are no car chases and Niki doesn’t throw a punch. But this film certainly does.
4.5 Piano Keys
Con Nats, On The Screen
