Oscar-winning filmmaker Daniel Roher transitions from documentaries to narrative filmmaking with Tuner, a thriller starring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman.

Niki White (Leo Woodall), a gifted piano tuner who has developed hyperacusis, finds his rare talent attracting attention from the wrong people. Once on the path to a promising music career, he now makes a living in New York alongside his mentor Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). But the same precision that allows him to tune Steinways also proves invaluable to criminals seeking someone with the skill to unlock safes.

As Niki navigates this double life, he crosses paths with Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), a music composition student whose warmth and creativity spark an unexpected bond. Their growing connection collides with the dangers of his illicit work, drawing him into a tense world where romance, artistic passion, and criminal intrigue intersect.

It’s almost by chance that Niki finds himself on the wrong side of the law. When mentor Harry (Dustin Hoffman) lands in the hospital, Niki feels compelled to help him and his wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh). With piano tuning not bringing in enough money, he turns to the only option available: using his precision hearing to crack safes. Soon enough, he’s recruited by Uri (Lior Raz) and his crew, Benny (Nissan Sakira) and Yoni (Gil Cohen), and finds himself pulled deeper into criminal territory.

Hyperacusis—an acute sensitivity to sound—plays a central role in Niki’s journey. As Daniel Roher explains in his director’s statement, it’s “a painful disorder to do with loudness perception in one’s hearing.” Niki constantly wears headphones to keep the world’s noise at bay; without them, the ringing would overwhelm him. This condition grounds the story, shaping both his artistry and his vulnerability.

While I saw Tuner at the Visa Screening Room at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, I’m curious how it will play in a cineplex with sound systems built specifically for motion pictures. Nothing against the Princess of Wales, but it’s a venue better known for live stage productions than for showcasing films designed with immersive sound in mind. Marius de Vries, serving as executive music producer, composed the music performed on screen, while Will Bates handled the score. What makes the sound design so striking is that we experience the world as Niki hears it. It’s an outstanding achievement all around.

I also have to give a shout-out to fellow Louisville native Greg O’Bryant because the film is beautifully edited. It runs short of two hours, but you never feel its run time. At least, that was my case during its Monday afternoon screening in Toronto. The screen commanded my attention at all times as I was sitting to the right side of the Dress Circle.

Roher also threads his own creative struggles into Tuner. After winning an Oscar for Navalny, the director faced paralyzing anxiety and depression. Collaborating with co-writer Robert Ramsey and inspired by piano tuner Peter White, Roher reshaped his personal experience into a story about creative paralysis and resilience. Thankfully, unlike Niki, his battle didn’t lead him into the criminal underworld.

At its core, Tuner imagines a man whose life is entirely defined by music, sound, and silence. Roher and Ramsey explore identity, loss, and the path toward reclaiming joy. While steeped in tension and fear, the film makes space for humor and human connection. It’s a universal story: most of us have known what it’s like to lose the one thing that gives us purpose, and to be forced to rebuild.

The timing of Tuner’s premiere adds another layer of resonance. At a moment when creative professions are under threat from AI and economic pressures, Roher’s film becomes a subtle commentary on artistic survival. Just as Niki must navigate reinvention, so too must artists, journalists, and musicians facing an uncertain future. That urgency makes the film not only a thriller, but also a reflection of the precarious state of creative work today.

DIRECTOR: Daniel Roher
SCREENWRITERS: Daniel Roher & Robert Ramsey
CAST: Leo Woodall, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Nissan Sakira, Gil Cohen, Jean Yoon, with Jean Reno and Dustin Hoffman

Tuner holds its Canadian premiere during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations program. Grade: 4/5

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