Our take
Tuner stars Leo Woodall as Niki, a piano tuner with hyperacusis who turns his perfect pitch toward cracking safes to pay his mentor's medical bills. It is rated R for language throughout, some violence, drug use, and brief nudity. Reviews highlight more than a hundred f-words, a shooting, an ear sliced with a switchblade, cocaine snorted on a job, and a sweet but non-explicit romance. Daniel Roher's sound design is a highlight, yet the crime plot and profanity make this a teen-and-up pick for music lovers who can handle gritty language
Uplifting themes
Loyalty, mentorship, and trying to fix mistakes matter even when the hero breaks the law Harry and Ruthie show warmth; Niki means well but models poor honesty and theft Offers a vivid look at piano tuning, perfect pitch, and hyperacusis through sound design
AMU ages are independent editorial opinions. They are not legal classifications and are not issued by the Classification Board, the MPAA, or any other official classification body. Official labels on this site, such as PG or R, come from those bodies or our data sources, not from AMU. AMU guides are not a substitute for official classification. Cuts and details can differ by version. Use them as one input only. You decide what is right for your family.
Story (may spoil tone)
A gifted piano tuner's meticulous skills for tuning pianos lead him to discover an unexpected aptitude for cracking safes, turning his life upside down.
Details
Violence Robbery shootout, beatings, and an ear mutilation; loud sounds also phy…
Robbery shootout, beatings, and an ear mutilation; loud sounds also physically hurt Niki
Language Relentless profanity, especially f-words, in almost every conversation
Relentless profanity, especially f-words, in almost every conversation
Sex / nudity Kissing, a pre-sex cutaway, shirtless morning after, and nude photos in…
Kissing, a pre-sex cutaway, shirtless morning after, and nude photos inside a robbed safe
Drugs / alcohol Cocaine use on a job, plus cigarettes, vaping, and casual drinking
Cocaine use on a job, plus cigarettes, vaping, and casual drinking
Frightening Heist tension and hearing-pain sequences create stress more than horror
Heist tension and hearing-pain sequences create stress more than horror
Self-harm / suicide No self-harm found in this title
No self-harm found in this title
Sexual violence No sexual violence found in this title
No sexual violence found in this title
Child peril / abuse No child peril found in this title
No child peril found in this title
Bullying / discrimination Brief talk about accent bias and a rude comment about a neighbor's dog
Brief talk about accent bias and a rude comment about a neighbor's dog
Gore / death / weapons Gunfire kills a character; bloody face and stitched ear aftermath appea…
Gunfire kills a character; bloody face and stitched ear aftermath appear on screen
Dangerous behaviour Detailed safecracking and home burglary are shown as thrilling before c…
Detailed safecracking and home burglary are shown as thrilling before consequences arrive
Eating disorders / body image No eating found in this title
No eating found in this title
Mental health Hyperacusis, career loss, and guilt shape Niki's anxious choices
Hyperacusis, career loss, and guilt shape Niki's anxious choices
Gambling No gambling found in this title
No gambling found in this title
Grief / bereavement Harry's decline and death, plus Holocaust references tied to stolen goo…
Harry's decline and death, plus Holocaust references tied to stolen goods, anchor the emotional arc
Talk after watching
- Niki uses a real disability to excel at both music and crime — when does a gift become an excuse for breaking the law?
- Harry and Marla treat Niki like family. Would you steal to help someone you love if insurance failed them?
- The film's sound design puts you inside Niki's painful hearing. How did that change the way you watched quiet versus loud scenes?
- Niki hides his safecracking from Ruthie instead of telling the truth. What would honest communication have changed?
- Characters joke that rich clients never notice missing valuables. Does the movie glamorize theft or show consequences?