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There is something so fascinating about watching someone with an extraordinary talent. An elite athlete, a virtuoso or a child prodigy. Perhaps sometimes it is just someone with a skill that is more rare than we think. TUNER the first scripted feature film from documentarian filmmaker Daniel Roher is all about unique talent. A film that follows a pair of two piano technicians something not every person will ever need in their lifetime and yet those that do either greatly depend on one or don’t even realize their grand piano is out of sync. And while just watching an odd couple of technicians fix pianos in some of the most upper class Tristate homes is engaging as it is, TUNER also wants to bring back the 90’s caper films that once turned handsome young men into leading stardom. A film that much like its lead character reaches far beyond its ability in hopes of greater success and riches. And while there is always a constant exciting buzz, the film is also one at odds with itself battling to hit the right note. Still whenever TUNER finds its groove it surprises you with a gentle chord all before hitting the most thunderous of notes that will leave your ears ringing long after the credits roll.

Daniel (Leo Woodall) hears everything. A twenty something piano technician Daniel has a condition known as hyperacusis where even the most inconsequential of sounds roars into Daniel’s eardrums. Donning earplugs and ultra noise cancelling headphones when necessary, Daniel works alongside Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman) a veteran piano player and technician. Harry is losing his hearing but that doesn’t stop him from talking everyone’s ear off creating a bumbling duo that is as charming as they are precise. Their job is mostly thankless due to the same elitist homeowner that uses their piano mainly as a decorating piece and could care less if it is out of tune since “nobody ever plays it.” Woodall and Hoffman work well together showcasing their real life Hollywood situation. Hoffman a veteran easily slips into Harry who has enough stories of the old days that constantly reminds you that Hoffman himself is one of the last few royal Hollywood men. Meanwhile Woodall who made quite an impression as a charming one moment terrifying the next love interest on season 2 of “The White Lotus” instead gets to be all charm here even in the later half of the film where he finds himself over his head. This might not be Woodall’s big breakout moment but the mixture of innocence and perseverance plays well into convincing anyone unfamiliar with him to keep watching what he does next.

But even with all the charm of the two technicians all is not safe in the world of piano tuning apparently. When Harry winds up in the hospital leaving his wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) with loads of bills, Daniel steps up using that perfect hearing into something much more lucrative and dangerous. There is a big jump in TUNER that may seem a little uneven and yet its reasoning mostly works. Daniel finds himself cracking safes for some possibly very dangerous security men who spend more time casing a house than protecting it. It is here where the film finds itself in darker territory all while still wanting to harness that charm it brought in early on. The script co-written by Roher and Robert Ramssey becomes less about enjoying the darker side more than the light or vice versa and instead about its ability to blend the two and still keep a tone of believability. This is where it battles its own music. Much like last year’s “Caught Stealing” the film wants to juggle it all including the girl (this time starring Havana Rose Liu who does a lot in an overall thankless role). But TUNER doesn’t fully seem to grasp its own 90’s crime caper inspirations. Its biggest resource being the buddy dynamic of Harry and Daniel is cut too short and while Liu as Ruthie, a student composer, does more than what is on the page she too is sidelined for the film’s more violent tendencies that can at times feel awkwardly placed. Sure once Daniel realizes the true dangerous of the world he is now in it can feel greatly overwhelming but the film’s back and forth causes the film to draw a line in the sand rather than let everyone play with no restrictions. But even in its weakest moments TUNER with some fast paced editing (thanks to editor Greg O’Bryant) the film bounces along and may be the biggest defender of bringing back the fishbowl lens something that has been greatly missed.

Thankfully TUNER is a film about sound, the sounds of beauty and the sounds of pain. It is here where the film really hits you hard thanks to a great sound design team mixing the audio in ways that will have your head spinning. Daniel himself once a great piano player now fears the sound due to years of extensive therapy that have only now allowed him just to be able to go day by day with the thousands of sounds throughout the world. It is because of this that Roher and the film’s sound team are able to evoke fear into nearly every sound we hear everyday but often ignore. The high pitch of a shoddy microphone, a dog barking, an ambulance going by or even just someone opening a bag of chips. All things many can ignore but for those with hypersensitivity or more it feels like lighting crashing right next to your eardrums and TUNER wants its audience to feel exactly that. This also allows for those quieter moments of a gentle piano note or just silencing the world only hearing the vibrations to feel so safe and welcoming. It is here where the film balances the horrors and joys of the world better than any plot device. It also just allows you to see how charming this film can be and understand the frustrations that come with this specific condition. It may not hit all the notes right but TUNER easily becomes the kind of song that you will listen to on repeat if only just to hear something comfortable.

B-

TUNER SCREENED AT THE 2026 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL. IT WILL BE RELEASED IN THEATERS MAY 22