TELLURIDE – Making the jump from directing documentaries to narrative films is never easy. There have been some historic standouts, such as Werner Herzog, Sarah Polley, and, most recently, RaMell Ross, but a long list of directors whose efforts were, frankly, middling. A filmmaker hoping to add his name to those who have had success in both genres is Daniel Roher, the Oscar-winning director of “Navalny.” He shows genuine promise in “Tuner,” a low-key thriller that debuted at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival this weekend.
At first, Roher’s premise, which he co-wrote with veteran screenwriter Robert Ramsey (“Intolerable Cruelty”), seems engaging enough. Niki (Leo Woodall, a star in the making) is the mentee of Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman, too little screentime), an established piano tuner covering the entire New York Metro area. Every day, the pair jump in Harry’s van and travel all over to tune pianos in wealthy homes, music schools, and professional venues. There is likely 50+ years between them, but Niki is quietly entertained by Harry’s blunt and charismatic persona. He can talk to anyone and always seems to have a story to tell.
When they visit a university concert hall, they unintentionally kick out Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu, keeps delivering), a nervous composition student prepping for her graduation concert. After Niki adjusts her piano, he shocks her with his ability to recognize any key, any chord, and any complicated combination of keys she plays. What she and the audience soon discover is that as a child, Niki was a musical child prodigy. When he was struck with hyperacusis, a serious sensitivity to loud noises that can be debilitating, his musical aspirations seemingly came to an end. Now, he constantly wears earplugs and always has noise-canceling earphones handy in case an airplane flies too close or a fire alarm goes off in earshot.
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The movie seems to be setting up a romantic dramedy as Niki and Ruthie eventually begin seeing each other, and Harry has to contemplate his mortality in his career. But Roher has other ideas. And, soon, the movie takes a turn.
After Harry is hospitalized, Niki learns from his wife, Maria (Tovah Feldshuh, legend), that he has over $36,000 in immediate medical bills. Maria verbalizes her uncertainty over how they will pay for it. She probably would have kept it to herself if she knew how that guilt would change Niki’s life. Harry and Maria are like family to him, so when a sketchy security operation run by Uri (Lior Raz, scary…enough) offers him an opportunity for easy money, he can’t say turn him down.
Before Niki knows it, his ability to hear distinct sounds finds him unlocking the safes of Uri’s above-board clients. Uri insists those one percenters never realize what is missing, and if they do, their insurance covers it. Niki naively continues because the money is more than enough to pay off Harry’s bills, but he’ll soon learn, once you are in with criminals such as these, it’s hard to get out from under their control.
The result isn’t middling, thankfully, but it’s not noteworthy either. Roher has talent, but, somewhat ironically, he can’t always find the right tone with this particular story. There are some fun, quick cutting montages, and Doher does let his actors breathe. Their contributions are more than solid, but “Tuner” wants to straddle a line of romance, comedy, and riviting thriller. That’s not an easy combination to pull off for even the most veteran narrative filmmakers.
Maybe there is a scenario where more Hoffman comic relief, contrasting with Niki’s increasingly desperate situation, and a more distinct visual aesthetic would have made this movie pop. Instead, it ends up as a palatable escape on a weekend afternoon. It’s one of those well-intentioned efforts that feels inherently too safe. There’s nothing wrong with that, but Roher teases that he knows he could reach higher. Hopefully, he’ll push a little harder on the next one. [C+]
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Editor-at-Large Gregory Ellwood is one of the entertainment industry's most respected journalists and critics. Based in Los Angeles, he's the only current awards expert who previously worked on Oscar campaigns at a major movie studio. Over the years, he has written for the LA Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vox, among others. He also co-founded the entertainment news site HitFix, which spawned a legion of influential Emmy and WGA Award-winning alumni.
