Even though we’re only halfway through the year, I can already tell you that Daniel Roher’s Tuner is one of the best I’ve seen. A thrilling crime film with a nifty premise and a wonderful tribute to jazz and classical music, it’s led by rising stars Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu. That’s probably not a fair description because they’ve already accomplished so much. Woodall had an incredible 2025 with roles in Nuremberg and as Renee Zellweger’s young lover in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. Liu’s breakout was in the 2023 comedy, Bottoms, but she first caught my eye for starring in the fantastical war film, Mayday, a couple of years earlier.
In Tuner, Woodall plays Niki, a former piano prodigy who suffers from hyperacusis, an extreme sensitivity to sound. Now, he tunes pianos for a living alongside his mentor, played by Dustin Hoffman. However, when Niki discovers that his talent is also really good for safecracking, he gets in neck deep with a gang of criminals, while also forging an unexpectedly sweet relationship with Liu’s character, Ruthie, a gifted pianist and composer who could be the one to lead Niki back to the profession he loved.
First of all, I’m a sucker for a crime movie that offers something different from the standard heist thrills, and Tuner does that. Utilizing some clever editing to portray Niki’s sensory overload, the film also boasts an obvious love of music, both the listening to and the creation of it, that is felt in all of its characters. But it’s seen most in the performances by Woodall and Liu, who had research and practice extensively to be convincing enough to be seen as piano virtuosos.
I had the chance to talk with Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu about Tuner, the challenge of fine-tuning their piano skills, and working with the legendary Dustin Hoffman. For Woodall, we also talked about the research that went into playing a person with hyperacusis, a rare hearing condition.
Tuner is open in select theaters now, and expands next week. Don’t miss it!
