What does one expect when a documentarian partners with a co-writer to write and direct his first feature? If you guessed a riveting, pulse-setting, sensational thriller about a heist and love and the chaos that unfolds, then you’d be right — but who possibly would’ve guessed that. However, that is exactly what Daniel Roher (Navalny; Once Were Brothers) and Robert Ramsey (Life; Man of the House; Intolerable Cruelty) did and the end results are simply undeniable. The tale of a piano tuner who turns to safe cracking to — for lack of a better answer — save the people he holds close and cherishes is the sleeper hit of the year. After experiencing the world of Tuner, audiences will not be able to deny its greatness.
Tuner focuses on Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman) and Niki (Leo Woodall) as they’re teacher and protégé, tuning pianos for anyone and everyone who has one, whether that be the elite of the elite, conservatories teaching their students, or everyone in between. Niki also has a condition that makes him incredibly sensitive to sounds, so he has to wear earplugs to essentially protect himself, but this also is his superpower, in a sense, when it comes to tuning pianos as everything else is tuned out, nothing else matters; he is only in-tune with and focused on the piano itself. Niki and Harry have a special relationship in that it goes far beyond teacher and student; they have a father-and-son dynamic which helps enhance their relationship and is a catalyst for some of the choices Niki makes throughout the film. On a job on his own, Niki is tuning, minding his own business, until he hears a commotion upstairs and discovers Uri (Lior Raz) and his minions essentially attempting to rob the place. Niki buys their half-cocked story and doesn’t seem to care what they’re up to, but with a sense of fear for his life he agrees to open the safe at their request and moves on with his day. Impressed by his skills, Uri successfully recruits Niki who just sees this as an opportunity to essentially make himself a renegade Robin Hood, stealing from the ones who won’t miss it or notice what is, in fact, missing.
L-R: Dustin Hoffman as Harry Horowitz and Leo Woodall as Niki White in TUNER. Photo courtesy of TIFF.
There is so much to unpack with Tuner but, first and foremost, we need to discuss the direction and script. There is no denying that Daniel Roher knows how to tell a story, but breaking from non-fiction to fiction is not an easy task, taking what isn’t real and enshrouding it in what *could* be a real story, packing it with emotions that feel so raw. And, on top of that, entrancing the audience with pulsating, cut-throat direction is a feat that is stunning, brilliant, and transcendent to the point where the final scene will simply leave a tear in your eye. Roher’s fiction debut is only further excelled by the incredible cast present.
Hoffman (Hook), while truly in a supporting role here at only a handful of minutes on screen, is phenomenal and continues to remind audiences why he is one of the best who’s ever done it. Rose Liu (Bottoms) being Ruthie, the love interest, transfixes the eyes of the audience and our leading man, keeping us right there with her on this journey to witness everything that unfolds in this anxiety-inducing adventure. But it is Leo Woodall (Cherry) who takes the reins fully and effortlessly commands every single frame he is in.
Tuner shows that pigeonholing any talent is a terrible idea because the Academy Award-winning documentarian making one of the best fictionalized features of the year was certainly not on anyone’s Bingo card, but Tuner has all the charisma, chaos, and energy to compel audiences to get behind and rally behind this unlikely story that is simply led by a phenomenal cast and packed to the brim with emotion. Tuner excels and, as a first-time feature writer and director, Roher paved a different career trajectory for himself that makes him one of the most exciting voices to look out for.
Screening during Toronto International Film Festival 2025.
For more information, head to the official Toronto International Film Festival Tuner webpage.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
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