There is something simple and elegant about director Daniel Roher’s crime thriller Tuner that calls back to mid-to-low-budget crime thrillers of the past. Written by Roher and Robert Ramsey, the film ably balances its independent film tone and aesthetic while still delivering mainstream satisfaction by taking the time to focus on the love story that completes the main character’s arc. The film’s duality (one part crime thriller and one part character study) works very well for the first two-thirds of the film, though its rather clean, neat ending feels more suited to a fully mainstream picture. It’s a satisfying ending, for sure, but it goes against the film’s overall tone, which may not be a bad thing; it just didn’t work for me. I liked it better when the film was messy.
Tuner centers on Niki White (Leo Woodall), a piano tuner with a rare condition that makes him allergic to loud noises. Hyper-sensitive to sound, he is constantly wearing earphones or headphones to drown out the sounds of the city. When his mentor, Harry (Dustin Hoffman), is hospitalized, Niki feels compelled to ally himself with Uri (Lior Raz), a security agency owner who robs from the wealthy, stealing just enough to fly under the radar. Niki’s sensitivity to sound makes him an ideal safecracker and Uri quickly puts his talents to work. As Niki take on jobs to cover for Harry’s hospital bills, he also finds himself forging a relationship with a music composition major, Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu).
Roher stays light on the crime aspect of the film, for the most part, using it as a means to an end for Niki. The illegal work allows him to take care of Harry, who has become his only family in the city. While his condition has kept him from forming real relationships and from having a real life, the money he earns from cracking safes for Uri allows him to finally reach for what he’s always wanted. It builds his confidence, giving him means to provide for Harry and his wife, Marla (Torvah Feldshuh), the only family he’s got. He can take Ruthie on dates and get her expensive gifts. The way the film tracks the apparent changes in Niki from before he started working Uri and after, allows us to see a more nuanced conversation about struggling for survival and having the money one needs to really have a life.
There is even a Robin Hood allegory that Uri makes that creates a justification for what it is that they do. We don’t know what Uri does with his money but we do know what Niki does with his money. It’s an interesting dramatic situation that fully forms the character arc of Niki.
But the film is also very much ready to complicate things. At the end of the day, theft is theft, and stolen money always comes with consequences. By this time, we have gotten to see Niki at his highest, watching him fall to his lowest and it makes for an interesting film. It’s really a character study, especially as the film breaks down Niki’s own past and we see the full extent of what it is he has really lost because of his condition.
The sound design is impeccable and a compelling reason to watch the film in theaters, where the volume itself plays an important aspect in telling the story.
I’ve seen Woodall before in the second season of The White Lotus and the AppleTV series Prime Target, but he never truly owned the screen. But in this film, he manages to mine all of Niki’s pathos to build a deeply engaging character that is so interesting to watch. Havana Rose Liu and Tovah Feldshuh are equally excellent, allowing their characters’ vibrancy to contrast with Niki’s dour view of the world. While the performances are good across the board, these three are the ones that I must discuss.
My Rating: 3 Stars
While you won’t get to experience its sound design in theaters anymore, Tuner is still well worth seeking out when it hits streaming platforms.
