The History of Sound

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The History of Sound

R

In Theaters Fri Sep 12

2h 7m

Romance

Drama

LGBTQ+

History

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Popcornmeter

66%

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38 Reviews

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0 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.

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In Theaters Fri Sep 12

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Oliver Hermanus

Director

Paul Mescal

Lionel

Josh O'Connor

David

Peter Mark Kendall

Nathan

Chris Cooper

Older Lionel

Molly Price

Lionel's Mother

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

The History of Sound has fashioned a deliberate non-epic from wispy material, keeping such a tight lid on sentiment it’s like an obstinate clamshell with its secrets. Expectations need recalibrating beforehand to not feel lightly underwhelmed.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 16, 2025

Full Review

Tomris Laffly

Elle

A masterclass in tender restraint. A rare treat to luxuriate in.

Jun 10, 2025

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Justin Chang

The New Yorker

Hermanus’s earlier films, including “Moffie” and “Living”, can quiver with passion, but his work here is polished and prettified to the point of inertia.

Jun 2, 2025

Full Review

Carla Renata

The Curvy Film Critic

The History of Sound was hauntingly beautiful storytelling with mesmerizing performances from Josh O’Connor, Paul Mescal and Emma Canning.

Aug 31, 2025

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Tori Brazier

Metro

[Paul] Mescal and [Josh] O’Connor do prove the captivating onscreen couple that all their fans hope they’d be, it’s just a pity that The History of Sound doesn’t provide as sweeping a canvas for them to paint as anticipated.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 5, 2025

Full Review

Sarah Manvel

Movies We Texted About

[Director Oliver] Hermanus gambled his movie on the appeal of his stars doing the work for him. Unfortunately that was a gamble he lost.

Jun 5, 2025

Full Review

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The History of Sound: Trailer 2

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The History of Sound: Trailer 1

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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
Runtime: 2h 7m