Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor Tune Into Romance For “The History Of Sound”
Mubi has unveiled the first look at The History Of Sound, a tender wartime romance that drew a Palme d’Or nomination at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Director Oliver Hermanus (Living, Moffie) adapts Ben Shattuck’s short story, following Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor) from a Boston music conservatory in 1917 to the rugged forests of Maine, where they collect folk songs for posterity.
First trailer for ‘THE HISTORY OF SOUND’, a romance movie starring Paul Mescal & Josh O’Connor
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 24, 2025
The film follows the relationship between 2 men who travel together in the summer of 1919 to record folk songs
In theaters on September 12. pic.twitter.com/KPxkMZ4RYD
Songs and memories shape the plot.
At its heart, the film asks how music can hold the echoes of love. We watch Lionel drift through Europe in later years, haunted by the brief season he spent with David and the harmonies they captured together. A chance discovery of their field recordings hints at why those days still ring in his mind.
Mescal and O’Connor’s chemistry steals the frame.
Mescal told People the set felt “relaxed and playful,” a vibe that shines through the trailer’s stolen glances and snow‑dusted duets. Their easy rapport turns a century‑old love story into something urgent and intimate.
Paul Mescal & Josh O’Connor in ‘THE HISTORY OF SOUND’
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) July 24, 2025
Directed by Oliver Hermanus. pic.twitter.com/iX8QD1pCjk
When and where to watch…
The film opens in cinemas on 12 September, giving us just weeks to line up a date night and a box of tissues.
