Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers and key details from the film ‘Tuner‘. Reader discretion is advised if you haven’t watched it yet.Leo Woodall, who made an unforgettable impression in the second season of The White Lotus, steps into his first major lead role with Tuner, a simple thriller that takes one of cinema’s lesser-used heist techniques and builds an engaging story around it.
Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Rohr, his first feature film, and co-written by Robert Ramsay, the film arrives with quiet confidence and a strong sense of character.
What is “tuner” about
Woodall plays Nicky, an apprentice pianist who works under veteran Harry, played by Dustin Hoffman, who handles the client’s magic while Nicky does the heavy lifting. What makes Nicky uniquely suited to his job, and ultimately to a life of crime, is a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle sounds that others cannot detect.When Nicky stumbles upon a trio of criminals trying to break into a safe in a house where he tunes a piano, he helps them out of frustration more than greed. Things escalate when Harry is hospitalized and is left with mounting medical bills, prompting Nikki to join the group for quick cash. Soon the criminals want more from him than he’s willing to give, and what follows is a disintegration of tension as he tries to extricate himself without losing everything in the process.
What works and what doesn’t work in the Tuner
Rohr and Ramsay spend the first third of the film carefully establishing Nikki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla, played by Tovah Feldshuh, as fully formed characters. This investment in personal storytelling pays off in a big way once Nicky begins his descent into crime. His divided loyalties and the real threat of theft create real tension, which is further complicated by a budding romance with piano student Ruthie, played by
Havana Rose Leo
a relationship that forces him into an ever-increasing series of lies.The film faces some bumps in its second half. Nikki’s ultimate goal remains unclear, and the screenplay begins to take shortcuts as it races toward its conclusion. The sudden argument scene between Nicky and Ruthie feels out of place and serves no clear purpose in the larger story. Despite this, the film maintains a consistently high quality throughout, thanks in large part to its performances and the originality of its central premise.
Cast and what to expect
Woodall is on the cusp of a true breakthrough, and this simple but compelling performance should only accelerate that trajectory. Hoffman, despite his limited screen time, remains as watchable as ever. Leo, known from “Bottoms,” continues to show the kind of screen presence that suggests bigger roles are on the way.“Tuner” may not reach its full potential, but it’s a thoughtful, well-crafted thriller that makes the most of an underutilized heist premise and a quietly impressive cast. Now showing in theaters.