Tuner is the first feature film directed and co-written by documentary maker Daniel Roher and released earlier this year. On the surface it is an engaging crime thriller, but in essence it is a character piece that revolves around Niki (Leo Woodhall), a young piano tuner who suffers from hyperacusis. His heightened sensitivity to everyday sounds is at times debilitating, but also incredibly useful for piano tuning and (as it happens) safe cracking!

This thought-provoking film echoes Good Will Hunting in asking questions about who recognizes and exploits talent. Woodhall is the perfect balance of charm and vulnerability as the tuner with hidden skills, and Dustin Hoffman is as compelling as ever as his protective but faltering boss, who is not ready to let go of the piano tuning business, or Niki. Havana Rose Liu is the hesitant yet ambitious composer who brings love into the mix, and there is an understated turn from Jean Reno.

The sound design gives insight into how Niki experiences noise, and the soundtrack brilliantly captures the mood of the film and the musical expression of the different characters. Visually, the direction gives attention to the unseen and overlooked: the tumblers of a lock, the pieces of a piano, inscriptions on a watch, and the stuff that accumulates on the dashboard of a work van, which are all very much part of the story.

Empire magazine gave the film a four star review: “With its breezy banter between Woodall and Dustin Hoffman’s mentor figure Harry, alongside Roher’s jazzy, quick-cut editing style, Tuner quickly becomes a very easy film to like.”

Tuner is 1 hour 47 minutes long (plus a 20 minute interval).