Although the 2025 London Film Festival marks the 69th edition in the festival’s history, it was 40 years ago that the first surprise film was screened at the glittering celebration of cinema. The now annual screening began in 1985 with Richard Attenborough’s ‘A Chorus Line’, while other legendary pictures such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Color of Money’ and Michael Mann’s ‘The Insider’ gave the UK their first look at the films in the years that followed. This begs the question, then: How will the festival celebrate the 40th anniversary of the mysterious film? Could he have been tagged as “Running Man”? Or maybe with Supreme Performance by Timothée Chalamet? Or maybe even a “sinister” tale? We could have had a great time at the movies, but what we got instead probably gave us something none of those could do.
Directed by Daniel Rohr, Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall, “Tuner” surprised even those of us who were paying the most attention. A film that many at the event described as a film they would not have seen if it had not been chosen, but boy, were they happy about it.
Director Daniel Rohr is an acclaimed creator at this point, having picked up both an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Documentary Feature in 2023 for his visual work on “Navalny.” So, how do you follow this up? You’ve directed your first feature film, naturally. An incredibly impressive one at that. The story he decides to tell is that of Nicky (Leo Woodall), a hard-of-hearing pianist whose life is turned upside down amid a blossoming romance and a newfound talent for safecracking. It’s a skill that definitely lends itself to making some quick cash when a day job just won’t cut it. But as we all know, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
In his youth, Nicky was a piano prodigy, but now he spends his days tuning pianos as an apprentice to father figure Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Nicky’s career change came as a result of a hearing disability that forced him to give up what he loved most. Nikki’s disability, hyperacusis, intensifies sounds to the point that even a slight crackle can become deafening. The loudest noise then has the potential to completely strip your child of his or her ability to function at all. To combat this, he always wears a pair of noise control headphones, with a larger, denser pair always on hand in noisy environments.
Often, when Nicky and Harry are working, they find themselves serving homes with a piano that hasn’t been touched in months or even years. Privilegedly ignorant, in Nikki’s eyes, who would love nothing more than to get the keys back. However, fortunately, Nicky’s unique ear actually makes him the perfect man for the job when a group of thieves discover his special talent and put him to work opening the safes of the more financially fortunate.
The exact same people that Nicky hates for not valuing freedom they so often ignore. In his hour of financial need, Nicky can’t help but find himself drawn into the criminal underworld, where he wants to help Harry and his wife Marla (Tova Feldshuh) pay off their outstanding debts. At the same time, Nicky falls in love with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), and when these two worlds collide, it threatens to destroy what makes him happiest without being a practicing pianist.
The film itself, at least initially, is a smooth, cheerful ride anchored by the wonderful real chemistry between Woodall and Hoffman’s father-son dynamic that makes them feel like old buddies strolling around town. Marla adds a different dynamic to the relationship throughout the film, acting as the voice of reason for both of them. Whether that’s for Harry to cut down on his salt intake, or for Nicky to get rid of his criminal connections.
Although the film shifts in tone – perhaps a little abruptly – to a crime and heist thriller, like all great stories, its beating heart is a love story. “Tuner” depicts the young romance between Nicky and Ruthie with such warmth and sincerity that it’s impossible not to root for their happily ever after. This is partly thanks to the performances of Woodall and Rose Liu, who feel as though they have taken a big step into these roles, as they have grown in stature and gone from strength to strength across their careers to date.
Rohr’s documentary history is on full display for all to see, with him and his cinematographer, Lowell A. Mayer, curate a visual treatment that takes full advantage of her impressive background in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. However, cracks are beginning to appear, ever so slightly, in Rohr’s screenplay, which he co-wrote with Robert Ramsay. Since Rohr has never written a piece of fiction up to this point, he relies too heavily on plot conveniences and tonal shifts that provide some punch in order to reach the desired outcome. But when the action on screen is as exciting as it gets, and the screenplay is otherwise lively and full of warmth, I think we can forgive a few newbies who stumble here and there.
However, where the film really shines is its fantastic sound design by Johnny Byrne, whose work you may have previously heard on Jordan Peele’s “Nope” or Yorgos Lanthimos “Poor Things”among other things. Byrne’s use of muffled or exaggerated sound to illustrate Nicky’s condition puts the audience in Nicky’s shoes and forces you to feel his suffering. This is especially prevalent in scenes where Nicky is unable to function due to his inability to tolerate piercing sounds, sending us and Nicky into a complete chaos. It’s a truly terrifying and awe-inspiring experience that is sure to get hearts racing.
“Tuner” is truly the kind of movie that would easily be recommended to anyone, packed with as much love and emotion as high-octane action to anyone in need of action kicks. A wonderful surprise at the festival that won the hearts of the audience, and is a surprise that, if it hasn’t happened already, should be on your radar in the coming months. This is an incredibly promising debut feature film from Daniel Rohr, establishing himself as a filmmaker worth watching with great interest from now on.
Read more: Top 10 Comedy Movies You Can Watch on Netflix
Tuner (2025) movie links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Letterboxd
Tuner (2025) Movie Starring: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Leo, Jean Reno, Lior Raz, and Tova Feldshuh
Tuner (2025) Running time: 1 hour and 49 minutes Genre: Crime/Drama/Romance/Music
Where to watch the tuner
