By Daniel Paiz

Tuner is an unexpected crime thriller that involves piano tuner Henry (Dustin Hoffman), his wife Maria (Tovah Feldshuh), his apprentice Niki (Leo Woodall), an opportunist in Uri (Lior Raz) and a rising composer in Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu). Uri and his sidekicks Yoni (Gil Cohen) and Benny (Nissan Sakira) offer Niki a chance to make some changes in his life by way of using his tuning skills on some safes with various treasures inside. When the guys are hired by Sung (shout-out to rapper Dumbfoundead) and Jinwoo (Rek Lee) to crack another safe, this one raises the stakes.

This film dives into so many different areas, and yet its composition meshes as well as any of the virtuoso songs the main characters clang out. The story dives into dealing with death and trauma, unexpected connections and vulnerability, risks and consequences; watching it all unfold is a treat.

There aren’t any big spoilers in this Cypher Flicks sneak preview review, as this is slated to come out May 22nd; to do so would require too many words. The standout bits, the harsh bits, and the final verdict will help you make up your mind about watching this intriguing thriller.

What Stands Out

Niki’s ongoing navigation of life is a labyrinth of sorts with two distinct ongoing trials. First, Niki must manage on the daily his hyperacusis in how it internally impacts him and how it impacts his two kinds of work. Second, he must navigate how decisions from the first batch of issues impacts his social life and those he cares about. The balancing act Niki keeps up is grating on him, especially with the health of Henry and his blooming relationship with Ruthie. The latter delivers needed notes of change.

The piano is an interesting vehicle for exploring how Niki and Ruthie navigate their lives. For him it is a connection he doesn’t allow himself to build anymore; for her, music guides her life and builds connection upon connection. There’s discord between these two in that way, but poetically that’s bound to be changed. It’s ironic as well.

The audience experiences this piano tuner finding beauty and poetry in the imperfection of notes harmonizing together, and yet the tuner won’t accept that same beauty in himself. Henry sees it, Maria sees it, and most of all Ruthie is waiting for it. Ruthie recognizes Niki has a similar skill set, thus evoking her shift towards harmony with him. Niki’s choices as the story moves forward are well-intentioned but strike the wrong notes. The end result doesn’t justify the way one gets there, and the tuner’s shift from piano tuning to safe cracking delivers more pain than gain.

What Slightly Hurts

This movie didn’t have anything go wrong for me, I liked the overall story, the secondary characters, and the twists and turns throughout. My one “complaint” for lack of a better word is Uri’s punishments on Niki for some of his decisions. This is a double-edged sword as well when it comes to bringing up hyperacusis. Cleveland Clinic suggests that physicians sometimes categorize this condition into four types: Loudness, Annoyance, Fear, and Pain condition types (the link above provides more details). For Niki’s case it appears he contends with both the loudness and pain types. He wears ear plugs throughout and then larger headphones for louder environments.

All of this is shared to say that Uri causes pain to Niki by way of his hyperacusis condition. He specifically targets his ears repeatedly. For me that felt overly cruel and his sidekicks Yoni and Benny portrayed that feeling on their faces as well. Some might argue that one must be treated the same as anyone else when it comes to health conditions that impacts one’s life. However, Uri could’ve just worked him over like any other underling. This cruelty was harsh. But then again, that’s likely the point, to remind the tuner of the stakes and the consequences for not giving continued cooperation. It was an impactful choice, one of several that helps to stick the landing for this film. Still didn’t like how it was done.

Final Verdict

If you’re a music fan, especially when it comes to piano and classical music, this movie is for you. One must keep in mind though that music is the harmony to the central melody that is this crime thriller. There is some humor, some romance, and some suspense. All of these are accompaniment as well. This movie delivers some solid performances, has good pacing, and kept me engaged from start to finish.

There’s not a lot to deter the average movie goer from checking this out. If you’re diametrically opposed to crime being a solution for financial difficulties, then maybe that would deter you. However, the current state of the world makes such a decision more understandable than ever. For the most part, the safe owners aren’t too impacted, outside of an exception*. Tuner‘s journey into music, crime, and inner growth make this one worth checking out.

[ * = an exception to the rule always makes things messier and, in this case, better for the story]