If You’re Already Obsessed With ‘Tuner,’ These Crime Thrillers Deserve a Spot on Your List

The moment a film earns the rare festival-circuit double of critical warmth and genuine audience buzz, the question inevitably follows: what do I watch next? ‘Tuner’ stars Leo Woodall as a gifted young piano tuner whose extraordinary sense of hearing draws the attention of criminals, who recognize that his talents are just as valuable for opening safes as they are for servicing Steinways. That high-concept hook, delivered with style and mounting dread, has left audiences hungry for something that scratches the same itch.

Critics have noted that the film draws on the electrifying heist energy of ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ the romantic criminality of ‘Baby Driver,’ the study of genius found in ‘Good Will Hunting,’ and the exploration of artistic obsession that defines ‘Whiplash,’ making it a satisfying genre cocktail with a very specific flavor. If that flavor has you hooked, the films below are the most rewarding places to start.

Crime Thrillers With Music at Their Core, Like ‘Baby Driver’

Reviewers at Sundance noted that ‘Tuner’ is closely inspired by both Michael Mann’s ‘Thief’ and Edgar Wright’s ‘Baby Driver,’ with the film’s central character carrying a unique, almost pathological sensitivity to sound that governs his entire world. That makes ‘Baby Driver’ the most natural starting point for anyone finishing ‘Tuner’ and craving more.

‘Baby Driver’ centers on Miles, a gifted getaway driver who synchronizes his every movement to music, using rhythm both to manage trauma and to stay sharply focused under pressure. Music is not merely accompanying the story but is integral to it, with each robbery choreographed around needle drops and tempo, and every camera move timed to the beat. The result is a sensory experience that feels as much like a concert as a crime film.

Where ‘Tuner’ uses sound design and perfect pitch to build dread, ‘Baby Driver’ weaponizes its soundtrack to manufacture pure kinetic joy. Both films understand, in very different but equally effective ways, that how a film sounds can be just as narratively powerful as what appears on screen. Fans of one are almost guaranteed to find the other irresistible.

Heist Films Built Around an Unlikely Protagonist

‘Tuner’ matters precisely because it offers a fresh take on the crime genre by centering on an unconventional protagonist whose defining gift is not violence or cunning but an almost supernatural attention to detail and sound, exploring themes of talent, morality, and the fine line between legitimate work and crime. That thematic DNA points directly toward a handful of films that have done the same.

Michael Mann’s ‘Thief’ is the most direct ancestor, and it paved the way for more heist thrillers that came after it, still making for an immersive watch with an outstanding synth-infused soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. The film follows a professional jewel thief whose obsessive, almost artisanal approach to his craft parallels Niki’s hyper-focused relationship with sound in deeply satisfying ways.

‘The Score,’ featuring Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando, is a meticulously crafted heist thriller about a master thief’s final job, and it shares ‘Tuner’s interest in the psychology of someone supremely skilled being pulled toward one last dangerous assignment.

‘Hell or High Water’ offers a solidly crafted, well-acted Western heist thriller that eschews mindless gunplay in favor of confident pacing and full-bodied characters, making it another strong recommendation for viewers drawn to crime dramas that prioritize character over spectacle.

Films That Explore Artistic Genius Under Pressure, Like ‘Whiplash’

Festival audiences at Sundance described ‘Tuner’ as feeling like the ‘Whiplash’ of the program, calling it action-packed, intense, and very musically driven. That comparison is not just flattering marketing shorthand. Both films are genuinely about what it costs a person to possess an extraordinary gift, and what happens when that gift becomes a liability rather than an advantage.

Critics described ‘Tuner’ as a film unafraid to ask existential questions about overcoming a handicap that directly impacts one’s art, blending the tones of a laid-back romance and a low-key crime thriller with something considerably more serious.

‘Whiplash’ operates in that same territory, tracking a young drummer whose obsessive pursuit of perfection strips away everything else that makes him human. Both films use music as a pressure chamber rather than a backdrop.

‘Good Will Hunting’ was also cited by critics as a useful touchstone, with its study of genius and the emotional consequences of extraordinary ability running parallel to what ‘Tuner’ explores through Niki’s condition and his complicated relationship with his own talent.

It is a softer, warmer film than the others on this list, but for viewers moved by the mentorship between Niki and Harry in ‘Tuner,’ the dynamic at the heart of ‘Good Will Hunting’ will resonate in recognizable ways.

New York Crime Dramas With Romantic Stakes

When ‘Tuner’ opens, it initially presents itself as a quirky surrogate father-son story set against New York’s world of fine pianos, before shifting decisively into crime territory when Hoffman’s Harry falls ill and his wife cannot keep up with the bills. That grounding in New York and in relationships threatened by criminal entanglement puts it in productive conversation with several beloved crime dramas.

‘Good Time,’ directed by the Safdie brothers and featuring one of Robert Pattinson’s most underrated performances, is a darkly funny psychological thriller about an amateur robber searching for bail money in the underbelly of New York City.

The film’s texture, its frantic pacing and deep sense of place, mirrors the New York atmosphere that runs through ‘Tuner’ even as the tonal register is considerably more abrasive.

IMDB reviewers noted that ‘Tuner’ carries strong ‘Whiplash’ vibes through its sharp editing and striking camera work, describing it as a film that feels simple yet dramatic and never overstays its welcome, which is precisely the quality that separates the best New York crime dramas from the merely competent ones.

‘Inside Man,’ with its clever Manhattan bank robbery at the center, offers that same combination of tight construction and urban authenticity that makes films set in the city feel alive rather than merely scenic. If you have a favorite from this list or a recommendation of your own for what fans of ‘Tuner’ absolutely cannot miss, the comments section is the place to make that case.