Tuner
Surprisingly heart-warming. Predictably thrilling.
The crime thriller is a genre that I rarely connect with. I find most films contrived and boring. But there’s typically at least one film a year that surprises & delights me. Tuner is 2026’s delight.
Nick White (Leo Woodall) is an NYC apprentice to piano tuner Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Nick used to be a talented pianist but due to his ‘allergy’ to loud noises, is no longer able to play. One day, Harry has trouble opening his safe which leads Nick to discover a talent for safe-cracking. As you can imagine, this leads him down a dangerous path.
Woodall is an actor I have a love hate relationship with. He has exploded over the past couple years with his big break in The White Lotus in 2022 where he played a cheeky man from Essex. His fame continued, showing a softer side in Netflix’s One Day and Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. He was setting up a nice career for himself as a promising romantic lead, although one that didn’t quite have any edge. He’s your typical white boy stereotype, and outside of The White Lotus, I found that he lacked much personality in the roles he took on.
In Tuner, Woodall is given a solid script to work with. His character is complex and has layers; he’s brooding, romantic, and sensitive all at once. Woodall’s romantic partner in the film is Havana Rose Liu who plays Ruthie, a student composer he meets while tuning a piano at a music conservatory. Liu’s magnetism outshines Woodall’s in every sense, but they do have chemistry which allows you to connect to the romance in a way that most films in the crime genre fail to.
Like any good thriller, there are twists and turns that keep the stakes incredibly high. Some predictable, some unexpected, but all with anxiety-inducing payoff’s that make the film worth the watch. Writer & Director Daniel Roher seems to have a knack for this, despite it being his narrative debut; Roher directed the Academy Award winning documentary, Navalny, proving he has the chops for his craft. His style shift from documentary filmmaking to feature translates well, especially with the tension and character narratives.
Tuner is a film best viewed without much prior knowledge. There is a beating heart at the centre of Roher’s screenplay that coincides with the stress of the situations the characters find themselves in. Not to mention the impeccable sound design, making Tuner a must-see in cinemas.
Tuner is in Australian cinemas from June 11.
