Tuner
Black Bear Pictures | Release Date: May 22, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
24
Mixed:
4
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago TribuneKatie WalshMay 28, 2026
It’s a thrill to watch this kind of original, adult movie that are all too rare these days, and Roher hits all the right notes with this move into narrative filmmaking. Read full review
91
Original-CinJim SlotekMay 27, 2026
Tuner is a distinctly urban romantic fable and tragedy, with a final act that is half-full or half-empty depending on your expectations of how a movie should finish. What’s clear is that Niki is an atypical protagonist, played by an actor who is up to the challenge. Read full review
90
The Daily BeastNick SchagerMay 22, 2026
As good as crime cinema gets, and one of 2026’s biggest surprises—and undisputed highlights. Read full review
90
Screen RantGraeme GuttmannSep 13, 2025
Tuner is a small film, but one that will leave a big impact. It truly is one of the most delightful surprises of the fall and deserves to be seen on a big screen with the loudest sound possible. Here's hoping it gets that chance. Read full review
89
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Barry HertzMay 25, 2026
A ferociously slick and rhythmically entertaining heist thriller, the movie feels like a breath of fresh air not only for the independent film space, where genuinely new ideas are a bitcoin a dozen, but for a filmmaker who seems completely, utterly, blessedly incapable of sitting still. Read full review
88
New York PostJohnny OleksinskiJun 1, 2026
Just when you thought NYC crime thrillers had run out of new ideas, here comes “Tuner,” a refreshingly inventive and captivating thug movie that focuses on compelling and rich characters over chases and shootouts. Read full review
80
Radio TimesMax CopemanMay 29, 2026
To define Tuner as a straightforward crime film would be reductive, though, as buddy-drama and romcom elements are key to its breezy charms. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeMay 29, 2026
For all the unfortunate messiness of the film’s later stages, Tuner, shot energetically by Lowell A Meyer, remains engaging throughout thanks to consistently original performances and notably witty dialogue. Read full review
80
The GuardianCath ClarkeMay 27, 2026
Leo Woodall’s breakout TV roles in The White Lotus and One Day offered a megawatt charisma, but for his biggest film role to date he dims it to a soft glow with gentle performance opposite Dustin Hoffman as one of a pair of New York piano tuners. And what a pair they are; they are a real pleasure to watch in an easy, unforced drama that mixes romcom moments with a relaxed crime thriller. Read full review
80
EmpireHarry StainerMay 26, 2026
An easy-going thriller throwback that mostly plays all the right notes, Tuner is winning and unexpectedly romantic, with Leo Woodall on fine form. Read full review
80
Wall Street JournalKyle SmithMay 22, 2026
The movie takes on some formulaic thriller trappings in its final act, relying too heavily on strained coincidences. So its second half is more conventional and less grounded than its first. What both halves have in abundance, however, is Mr. Woodall’s unforced charm. He strikes every chord like a virtuoso, and he’s going to be a major player in the movies. Read full review
80
The New York TimesBrandon YuMay 21, 2026
It’s a little silly, and yet, watching Woodall finally let loose then snap back into his sly and sexy cool, you can’t help but be lulled into the melody. Read full review
80
Film ThreatAndy HowellNov 5, 2025
What Daniel Roher has done with well-worn forms is to use them as setups, but put them together with a twist in a way that seems fresh and exciting. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 13, 2025
A laid-back rom-com crossed with a low-key crime thriller, combined with something more serious — unafraid to ask existential questions about overcoming a handicap that directly impacts one’s art — Tuner feels like the discovery of the Telluride Film Festival. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMay 28, 2026
Hoffman, last seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” is a delight, and Jean Reno provides added charisma in a small role in the film’s second half. But the film belongs to Woodall, who turns brooding silence into riveting cinema. His is a star-making performance, perfectly in tune. Read full review
75
The Travers TakePeter TraversMay 22, 2026
In a minor crime thriller that pays major dividends in humor, heart and sweet music,rising Brit newcomer Leo Woodall pairs up with all-timer Dustin Hoffman as piano tuners turned small time crooks and their teamwork is an unalloyed, unexpected pleasure. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyMay 22, 2026
A sharp, engaging thriller with a novel premise, “Tuner” puts the viewer into a world where to hear is to feel excruciating pain. Read full review
75
The Film StageJared MobarakMay 21, 2026
Intent and execution might not always align, but it’s an entertainment ride nonetheless. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineChris BarsantiMay 20, 2026
Daniel Roher’s modern noir has an appealing cleverness and lightness of touch. Read full review
70
ColliderVictoria LuxfordMay 22, 2026
Ultimately, Tuner is an enjoyable caper with a lot of elements you've seen in other movies, but rarely in this order. Impeccable production and subtle commentary will be a delight for cinephiles, while the unique setup keeps you engaged right up until the final note is played. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleRichard WhittakerMay 28, 2026
Tuner may not be innovative, nor does it distract the audience with too many twiddly bits. Yet there’s a definite delight in hearing the right notes played in the right order. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubMonica CastilloMay 21, 2026
Where Tuner truly shines is in the work of Oscar-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn and the film’s sound team as they carefully recreate Niki’s world through the film’s engrossing soundscape. Roher’s technically impressive approach to this element weaves itself organically throughout the film and its story, setting the crime drama apart from more typical crowdpleasers. Read full review
67
IndieWireCaleb HammondSep 13, 2025
It’s a playful movie in form and content, one that rarely takes itself too seriously, and as such, it can’t help but skate by as a pleasurable ride, whether through allowing Hoffman, Woodall and Liu space to trade quips, or through snappy editing when entering a new location. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeOdie HendersonMay 27, 2026
Tuner hums by on its lively performances and flashy visuals until we get to the last act, which is so awful that it curdled every issue I had been able to ignore or forgive. Read full review
60
Time OutHelen O'HaraApr 6, 2026
It’s a light diversion rather than a symphonic masterpiece, but it’s still pleasantly in-tune entertainment. Read full review
60
Next Best PictureMatt NegliaSep 13, 2025
Ultimately, Tuner is a film about sound, silence, and rediscovering who you are. It’s about the terror of losing what defines you, and the strange, unexpected ways life can offer a new shot for those who feel they already missed it. Read full review
58
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodSep 13, 2025
It’s one of those well-intentioned efforts that feels inherently too safe. There’s nothing wrong with that, but Roher teases that he knows he could reach higher. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreJun 15, 2026
The jazz and classical musical milieu with underworld grit flourishes pulled me into “Tuner.” Jazz great Herbie Hanock even has a cameo. But every few minutes, a contrived scene, a hammy flourish of performance or some other false note took me right out of it. Read full review
20
Little White LiesLillian CrawfordMay 27, 2026
Beyond representational qualms, Tuner is simply a bad film. The first safe-cracking sequence might be reasonably entertaining, but repeated over and over it becomes extremely dull. Read full review
More From This Movie

75 Critic Reviews

tbd User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 76 Hokum
3 74 Disclosure Day
4 73 Toy Story 5
5 73 Hoppers
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL