Tuner follows Niki White, played by Leo Woodall, a gifted jazz pianist whose life is dismantled by a diagnosis of hyperacusis — a condition that makes every day sounds unbearably loud to his extra-sensitive hearing.
With the career he had spent his life building towards stripped away from him, he turns to piano tuning under the tutelage of his late father’s closest friend, Harry Horowitz. He encounters Ruthie, a young pianist studying composition, while on a tuning job, and the two are eventually drawn together. Gradually faced with unexpected circumstances, Niki is forced to confront what he has lost, what he still wants and how far he is willing to go.
The film wastes no time getting to the point; there is no slow build or gentle easing into Niki’s world, and while the opening act may feel slightly rushed for it, this is likely a deliberate choice to make room for the unexpected series of ups and downs packed into the rest of the film. From its very first minute, the film establishes that Niki is deeply unhappy with the life he now lives. At this time, the closest he is to happiness is in the company of his mentor Horowitz and his tender, sharp-witted wife, Marla.
The soundscape of the film deserves an essay in tribute of its own. From a foley that makes you hear everyday sounds the way Niki hears them, to its richly layered jazz music, Tuner is, especially for avid jazz and jazz piano listeners, nothing short of a treat. It is an audio-heavy film in the most thoughtful manner, and jazz fans will also spot repeated mentions of —and even an unexpected cameo by — a popular American jazz musician. Ambient sounds are active participants in the film’s storytelling. This truth is sure to settle with a quiet strength when Niki explains to Ruthie, “You’d be surprised by how loud the world is.”
Leo Woodall’s performance is interestingly divided across the film. In his portrayal of Niki’s day-to-day movements, the character comes across as nonchalant and quite often annoyed and irritated. This might make sense at a later stage in the film, when it becomes evident that he lives in envy of those who get to live the life he once was working towards, including his new partner, Ruthie. The viewer’s empathy for Niki does not arrive all at once; it builds steadily.
But where Woodall truly excels is in the film’s more intense sequences. Paired with the immersive soundscape, his facial acting is captivating and at times genuinely heart-wrenching. Havana Rose Liu and Dustin Hoffman spruce up an able supporting cast.
But let’s talk about the film's ending, which refuses to offer easy satisfaction, and is abrupt in a way that might initially frustrate. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself back home unwrapping the climax in a way you couldn’t as you stood up to leave the theatre; this, in some sense, truly feels like the film’s defining quality.
With intimidating crescendos matched with a constant clicking of turning vault locks, Tuner can be best described as this: What happens when Whiplash meets a heist-thriller?