Review: Tuner

Key Takeaways

• Daniel Roher shifts from documentaries to narrative thriller with Tuner
• Protagonist Niki uses hyperacusis to crack safes, blending comedy and crime
• Johnnie Burn’s sound design immerses viewers in protagonist’s heightened hearing
• Film balances romance, thriller, and witty pacing through kinetic editing
• Released May 29 nationwide after limited city debut, earning B+

Pulse Analysis

Daniel Roher built his reputation on hard‑hitting documentaries such as the Academy‑Award winner Navalny and the emotionally resonant Blink. With Tuner, he steps behind the camera for his first narrative feature, a move that underscores a broader trend of documentary filmmakers crossing into fiction to bring real‑world urgency to genre stories. By transplanting his documentary‑style immediacy into a thriller about a piano tuner turned safe‑cracker, Roher offers a fresh perspective that blends factual tension with scripted drama, positioning him as a versatile storyteller in today’s competitive film landscape.

Tuner’s central conceit hinges on Niki White’s hyperacusis—a rare sensitivity to sound that grants him perfect pitch and the ability to hear the minute clicks of a lock’s tumblers. The condition becomes both a narrative engine and a sensory playground, allowing Oscar‑winning sound designer Johnnie Burn to craft an aural landscape that places audiences inside Niki’s ears. From the subtle hum of piano strings to the blaring horns of Manhattan traffic, the film’s sound design amplifies tension and humor, while kinetic editing stitches together comedy, romance, and thriller beats into a cohesive, fast‑paced experience.

The film opens in select cities tomorrow before a nationwide rollout on May 29, positioning it for both limited‑release buzz and broader box‑office traction. Early reviews, including a B+ from the Los Angeles Times, highlight its witty script, strong performances from Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman, and the novelty of a safe‑cracking thriller rooted in the niche world of piano tuning. If audiences respond to its distinctive sound‑driven storytelling, Tuner could inspire a wave of genre pieces that prioritize sensory immersion, while cementing Roher’s reputation as a director capable of translating documentary urgency into compelling fictional narratives.