Over the past few years, the LGBTQIA+ community has been treated to incredible queer inclusive films and TV shows, such as All of Us Strangers, Fellow Travelers, Our Son, Ponyboi, A Nice Indian Boy, and more.
Thankfully, more LGBTQIA+ projects are on the way, with The History of Sound snagging the title as one of the most highly anticipated gay dramas of 2025. The queer romance, adapted from Ben Shattuck’s titular novel, had pulses racing when Mescal and God’s Own Country star Josh O’Connor were cast as the leads back in 2021. (We can understand why. We suffered the same fate.)
From cast members to the plot, here’s everything we know so far about The History of Sound.
What’s the plot?
The History of Sound is based on the Pushcart Prize-winning novel by Ben Shattuck, a collection of 12 short stories that are set across three centuries and explores the generational patterns of love and loss. Each following story provides a revelation of the previous entrant.
The title story follows two young men, Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor), in the shadows of WWI who are determined to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen. Lionel and David begin to log the events, whilst falling in love in the process.
Who is in the cast and crew?
In addition to Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, The History of Sound will feature Chris Cooper (A Time to Kill), Molly Price (Third Watch), Raphael Sbarge (Once Upon a Time), Hadley Robinson (Little Women), Emma Canning (Dune: Prophecy), Brianna Middleton (The Silent Planet), Gary Raymond (House of Dragon), Alison Bartlett (Materialists) and Michael Schantz (The Blacklist).
The adaptation is being directed by Oliver Hermanus and produced by Tim Haslam, Andrew Kortschac, Lisa Ciuffetti and Andrea Roa. Hermanus is best known for his Queer Palm Award-winning romance Beauty (2011). He also served as the director and executive producer of Sky Atlantic’s historical queer series Mary & George, which stars Oscar-winning Julianne Moore and Red, White & Royal Blue’s Nicholas Galitzine.
In a May interview with Vanity Fair, Hermanus discussed casting Mescal and O’Connor, who have both risen to mega-stardom in recent years—particularly for their roles in the lauded queer films All of Us Strangers and Challengers.
“Their lives were literally changing, and it was always this groupthink situation of, Where can we find the time to force the universe to let us make this film?” said Hermanus.
“We probably wouldn’t have been able to make this film when we wanted to, in 2022, because they weren’t the Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor that we now know today.”
In the same interview, Mescal noted how fortunate he felt to be part of The History of Sound, acknowledging how often beloved projects fail to materialise after years of effort: “How many times do you hear people who really try and get something made over five, 10, 15 years, and it just falls away?
“I remember feeling very lucky. Like, We have to enjoy this. Because we’ll come across other opportunities in our life where we love a script as much as this, and we just don’t get to get it made.”
Will there be sexual content in The History of Sound?
The History of Sound won’t feature many explicit sex scenes. But it will include plenty of sexually tense moments between O’Connor and Mescal’s characters. In his aforementioned interview with Vanity Fair, Hermanus revealed that he deliberately kept the sex scenes to a minimum because he didn’t want to frame them as a “transgression.”
“Ben [Shatuuck] wrote it in a way where there was no hesitation, no moment of fear. For me, the sex scene is when Lionel is walking around David’s apartment the morning after [their first encounter], and he’s smelling everything and sitting everywhere,” he explained. “He’s absorbing the energy of this person.”
Mescal added: “There is a kind of real sense of companionship, and the joy and loss that comes with the presence and absence of that. It’s not just about sex and the intensity of falling in love. It’s deeper than that.”
What do the early reviews say?
Since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or and received generally positive reviews from critics. It currently holds a 65% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Much of the praise was directed toward Mescal and O’Connor’s performances, as well as the film’s romantic and years-spanning plot.
In TIME Magazine’s review, writer Stephanie Zacharek said: “The performances are remarkable, particularly Mescal’s—just to watch him listening is galvanizing.”
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter echoed similar sentiments, writing: “Yields its rewards in an unhurried fashion but finds quiet power in understatement, its passion and yearning revealed in the eyes of its superb lead actors.”
Does The History of Sound have a release date?
Thankfully, the film has received a release date, and it’s right around the corner. In June, it was announced that The History of Sound would be released in US cinemas on 12 September and 19 September in Canada. At this time, a release date for the UK and Europe has not been announced.
Is there a trailer?
Yes! On 24 July, we were finally treated to the first powerful trailer for the highly anticipated film. Coming in at two minutes and 28 seconds, the teaser is filled with heartwrenching moments that give a sneak peek into Lionel and David’s romantic and dynamic love story. Check it out in full below.
More
