Amidst the myriad of streaming services lies a hidden gem, that while it did run theatrically, was out of theatres before you could blink. Part thriller, part romance and part buddy-comedy, it’s a film as unique as the main character’s disorder and central plot point. Tuner is a quiet movie that speaks volumes and manages to blend all of its unique components to hit that perfect note.
Niki Wright (Leo Woodall) is an apprentice piano tuner who works alongside his long-time mentor and pseudo uncle Harry (Dustin Hoffman). It’s the kind of relationship where Harry is stuck in a decade of New York that doesn’t truly exist anymore and Niki silently accepts his mentor’s quirks while keeping his head down and just doing the work. Harry is going deaf and Niki has a condition called hyperacusis where everyday sounds are unbearably loud and painful. Manhattan may not be the best city sound-wise to reside in, but it’s clear that Niki will do anything for Harry, even if that means wearing headphones 24/7 in the city that never sleeps or frankly, shuts up. The pair are highly specialized in their niche skill but are often overlooked by the piano owners who are more concerned with asking for their help with a leaky sink than a flat key.
It’s only when Harry can’t remember the combination to his own safe that Niki’s hearing disability proves itself to have an unexpected upside; he can hear the internal lock of the safe and when it catches on the correct combination. This doesn’t come into play again until Niki is alone at a mansion attempting to tune a piano but distracted by loud drilling upstairs. Upon investigation he finds self-identified “security” attempting to open the owner’s safe. More concerned with stopping the drilling than the ethics at play, Niki enlists his super hearing to quickly open the safe and protect his hearing. And thus, the thriller portion of the movie arrives.
After an unfortunate event occurs, Niki decides to revisit the security leader Uri’s proposal to lend an ear on select robbery cases for a substantial cut. As anyone who has seen any kind of crime thriller can attest, once you’re in, it’s damn near impossible to get out. Trying to find a way to break from this criminal group while simultaneously nurturing a budding romance with music composition student Ruthie, it’s evident Niki’s life is hurtling towards implosion.
Niki may be a gentle soul, but his hearing disability has lent itself to a life of isolation. When the world around you is too loud, you find you don’t want to interact too much with it. Tuner does an exceptional job of playing with sound, allowing the audiences to hear the world as Niki does and understanding how much of a social bubble he has put himself in. These moments are juxtaposed with the true sounds of the reality that surrounds him and frankly, the movie wouldn’t be as impactful without this clever sound mixing.
It’s a shame that this movie didn’t get more recognition, but it’s a hard movie to find its right audience. It’s a tad too niche subject-wise for mainstream theatre-goers, but it’s not “artsy” enough for the more indie viewers. It’s an incredibly strong cast, captivating storyline and a jazz soundtrack that’s worth listening to outside of its movie connection. Tuner’s storyline builds into such a beautiful crescendo (with a great last line), that just like the piano tuners at the heart of this film, Tuner is vastly underrated.
Tuner is available to stream on Amazon Prime.
