TUNER is a pretty simple and well-constructed little crime movie, about a quiet, unassuming protagonist with very specific talents, vulnerabilities and needs. It feels like it could’ve come from some brilliant but under-the-radar paperback, a quick but satisfying read. One thing that makes it distinct is that it’s also a romance – more of a romance than a crime movie, arguably – and it managed to get me more invested in the relationship than the stealing. And feel okay about that.

Niki (Leo Woodall, TONY) is a young piano tuner, the apprentice of Harry Horowitz (Dustin Hoffman, MEGALOPOLIS), who was friends with his late father, and treats him like a beloved nephew. When Harry’s not talking Niki’s ear off about the old days he’s telling everybody what a brilliant musician Niki used to be. Before he stopped, you know. Over time we learn that the devices in Niki’s ears are not hearing aids, they’re to protect him from loud noises, because he’s developed hyperacusis, a condition that makes him very sensitive to sounds. Years of painful exposure therapy helped him to listen to piano again, and he still has perfect pitch. But he gave up on playing, seemingly content in this humble life of being condescended to by the rich people who still own pianos, but at least hanging out with this goofy old man he loves.

Although he tries to hide it from his wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh, BREWSTER’S MILLIONS), Harry is starting to forget things, including the combination to his safe. As a favor Niki brings the safe home with him, watches some Youtube videos about safecracking, listens to the lock and – holy shit – gets it to open! Would you look at that.

When Harry is later hospitalized, Niki keeps the business running. Called to a conservatory he annoys a student named Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu, BOTTOMS) by having to tune the piano she wants to practice on. Afterwards he surprises her with his ability to call out whatever chords she plays, laying a foundation to later run into her again and be awkward, and eventually to really get to know her when she has a piano tuning emergency and doesn’t know who else to call.

Also he meets Uri (Lior Raz, 6 UNDERGROUND), head of a security team in a mansion he has to work in after hours. He can’t work because of their power tools, which they’re using to try to open a safe, for very legitimate reasons, surely. So he calls upon his recently acquired skills. That’s how he falls into safecracking.

He wants to pay Harry’s medical bills, so he ends up doing the occasional job for this crew, Uri and his nice doofus son Benny (Nissan Sakira) and the other guys, funny dudes but not so trustworthy in their claims that everybody they’re robbing is a monster who deserves it. It’s a good racket they got going – hired by very rich people, having access to their homes, knowing the stuff to take that they won’t notice is missing right away and when they do will blame the help. (The other help.)

For Niki it starts out pretty easy, but always feels uncomfortable, and gets more and more questionable the deeper he gets into it. There’s a great scene where he has to go to some house to do a job for some dudes he doesn’t know and it’s near an airport so he keeps getting blasted with the sounds of planes flying over. The bad vibes of the whole situation remind me of that scene in BOOGIE NIGHTS with the firecrackers. But it has to do with crypto instead of drugs or porn, so it’s way sleazier.

Meanwhile Ruthie is working toward performing a big piece for her thesis or whatever, putting stress on herself and the relationship, but Niki is able to give loving support and creative advice. At least most of the time. These two leads are so good, playing characters who really don’t feel that standard, but I wouldn’t call them quirky or anything either. They’re in a movie, obviously they’re gonna be prettier than most of us, but I think they both feel real in a way that makes the attraction hotter than when it’s the sexiest people alive. I’d never heard of Woodall, so it’s one of those oh shit who is this guy? performances, and another wait a minute, that guy’s English? (I have a theory he studied Channing Tatum for his American accent.)

The intersection of the crime movie and romance structures is perfect. They both go off the rails at the same time, providing very effective tension about whether he’s gonna come through for Ruthie and/or get himself killed. And then it swerves into a narrative sucker punch that left me wondering how they could possibly land this neatly. And then they do.

It’s confidently put together, with a unique editing rhythm (editor: Greg O’Bryant, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) and that type of script I love where little bits you don’t think much of organically set up something that happens later and I keep thinking, “ah, I see what you did there” with a smile of respect. When Ruthie’s struggling with her composition Niki suggests adding a keyboard part, so during her recital when a keyboard comes in I thought “Oh shit, there it is!” Also (SPOILER) Harry likes to brag about tuning Herbie Hancock’s piano, and they play some Herbie on the soundtrack, and I was thinking “that would be funny if Herbie Hancock (VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS) was actually in this,” and then what do you know, there he is! (Also, while looking for photos to use with this review I noticed Niki has a tattoo of the cover of Headhunters.)

I noticed Jean Reno (LE DERNIER COMBAT)’s name on the opening credits, so I kept waiting for him to show up as some scary gangster. Instead he turns out to be Marius Maissner, a famous composer who Ruthie wants to impress and get an internship with, so he’s intimidating in a completely different way than I expected. It’s interesting use of a beloved ‘90s icon I haven’t seen much of in recent years.

TUNER is a really impressive narrative debut for Daniel Roher, the documentarian who did ONCE WERE BROTHERS (about Robbie Robertson and The Band) and NAVALNY (which won the best documentary Oscar). He’s credited as writing it with Robert Ramsey (DESTINY TURNS ON THE RADIO, LIFE, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY). Normally I would say “I can’t wait to see what he does next,” but unfortunately Roher already followed this with THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALPTIMIST, where he apparently lets A.I. assholes talk him into not being as afraid of their dumb technology. I’m glad he was able to make this excellent movie before his brain got cooked.