The History of Sound

Play trailer

1:02

The History of Sound

R

2025

2h 7m

Romance

Drama

LGBTQ+

History

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

100+ Verified Ratings

"The History of Sound" follows two young men -- Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) -- in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. As they begin to log the events, the two fall in love.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Its drawn-out pacing and overly familiar trajectory undermine its potential to truly surprise, but The History of Sound nonetheless offers a visually stunning and well-acted journey through its melancholic exploration of human connection.

Read Critics Reviews

Udita Jhunjhunwala

Livemint

Jan 27

...the film is confident in its choices, content to let the music and its lead actors do the heavy lifting, as Lionel and David fight battles both externally and internally.

Go to Full Review

Laura Venning

Empire Magazine

Jan 27

4/5

A profoundly affecting story of doomed love and lost time that boasts captivating performances from Mescal and O’Connor. Come for the boys, stay for the magic of storytelling through song.

Go to Full Review

Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

Jan 26

I thought it was a beautiful film.

Go to Full Review

Robert W. Butler

Butler's Cinema Scene

Jul 21

B+

The acting… well, as if I didn’t already love Paul Mescal to pieces, he here so fully inhabits Lionel that we can almost hear his thoughts beneath that respectful reticence.

Go to Full Review

Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

May 22

2/5

While the narrative remains frustratingly superficial—technically polished yet dramatically inert, most of the film feels trapped in repetition, particularly during the musical interludes, which tend to weaken rather than deepen the emotional current.

Go to Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Apr 23

2.5/5

... our lives are built by the sounds around us. Hermanus does capture this with his film and our hearts do ache for the love that will not be; it’s just a shame that everything else within the tale isn’t something we care to linger within, as well.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Thomas M

Oct 28

this is a deeply felt, compassionate, thoughtful movie. it's lovingly breaks your heart.

See more

Gabe

Oct 18

Really good story, felt a little long but worth the payoff and such a beautiful ending.

See more

Skip

Oct 18

A subtle and haunting love story pockmarked by the strenght of the human spirits as it champions undenialable love.

See more

Sue D.

Oct 18

Sensitively and beautifully done. We had time for discussion afterward which was terrific.

See more

Steve R

Oct 11

Excellent on all levels

See more

Michael H

Oct 5

This is a beautifully simple, artful, and emotional film. The dramatic restraint and pace mirrors its subject matter. I was swept up by the beauty and ache of the story.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Oliver Hermanus

Director

Paul Mescal

Lionel

Josh O'Connor

David

Peter Mark Kendall

Nathan

Chris Cooper

Older Lionel

Molly Price

Lionel's Mother

The History of Sound: Exclusive Movie Clip - Window

1:37

The History of Sound: Movie Clip - Singing Love Songs

2:01

View more videos

Call Me by Your Name

95%

86%

Call Me by Your Name

Watchlist

High Tide

100%

88%

High Tide

Watchlist

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

98%

92%

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Portrait of a Lady on Fire

Supernova

89%

69%

Supernova

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Supernova

Pillion

99%

89%

Pillion

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Pillion

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Cannes 2026: The Most Talked About Films

10 Most Talked About Films of The 2025 Cannes Film Festival

The History of Sound: Featurette - On Set with Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor

0:55

The History of Sound: Trailer 2

1:02

The History of Sound: Trailer 1

2:28

Paul Mescal's Must-Watch TV & Movie Picks

0:23

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

"The History of Sound" follows two young men -- Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) -- in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. As they begin to log the events, the two fall in love.

Director: Oliver Hermanus
Producer: Oliver Hermanus, Andrew Kortschak, Sara Murphy, Thérèsa Ryan, Zhang Xin
Screenwriter: Ben Shattuck, Oliver Hermanus
Distributor: MUBI
Production Co: Closer Media, Film4, End Cue, Kino Produzioni
Rating: R (Some Sexuality)
Genre: Romance, Drama, LGBTQ+, History
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $833.8K
Runtime: 2h 7m