Tuner (2026)

Some of the most surprising movies I’ve ever seen are the ones I watched without knowing anything about them beforehand. In fact, I wouldn’t have ended up watching some of them if I had read about them first, because I would have discovered a plot point or trope that wasn't to my liking.

The biggest surprise of this year for me was Tuner, an independent movie directed by the young, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher. I initially decided to watch it because I love Dustin Hoffman and assumed it was a film about music. Had I known it was actually a heist movie, I would’ve postponed it or skipped it entirely, as it is one of my least favorite subgenres.

The movie follows Niki White (Leo Woodall), a young man who was a piano virtuoso and prodigy as a child. After developing hyperacusis, a rare hearing condition causing extreme, painful sensitivity to everyday sounds, he was unable to pursue a musical career and was taken under the wing of master piano tuner Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman). Due to Harry's age-related confusion and Niki’s own hearing disorder, Niki ends up discovering an unusual ability to open safes just by listening to the mechanical movements inside the locks.

Soon after, Harry is hospitalized, and his wife confesses that they are struggling to pay the medical bills. Desperate to help, Niki takes a dangerous turn after a chance encounter with a group of Israeli criminals. Using their security company as a front to break into the safes of wealthy clients, they enlist Niki and his newly discovered talent, pulling him into a life of crime so he can repay his benefactors.

While the plot about a decent guy turning to crime to save his loved ones has been used time and time again, Tuner showcases it in a refreshing way. The criminals Niki meets are not the typical, tough, streetwise thugs you usually see in these thrillers. In fact, they treat Niki with respect and accommodate his condition, as long as he’s willing to crack the safes for them.