Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor Fall in Love in ‘The History of Sound’ Trailer
Ahead of its highly anticipated theatrical release on September 12, Mubi has unveiled the official trailer and poster for The History of Sound, and we’re already bracing ourselves for the emotional impact. This tender gay romance starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor was nominated for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and if the trailer is anything to go by, we’re in for something beautifully intimate and utterly heartbreaking.
Directed by Oliver Hermanus (Living, Moffie), The History of Sound is based on the short story by Ben Shattuck, who also wrote the screenplay. It tells the story of Lionel (Mescal), a gifted singer from rural Kentucky raised on folk songs, who leaves home in 1917 to study music in Boston. There, he meets David (O’Connor), a charming composer drafted into the tail end of World War I.
Their lives briefly intertwine again in 1920, when they spend a winter traveling through the forests and islands of Maine, gathering folk songs to preserve them for future generations. As Lionel grows older and builds a new life across Europe—full of music, success, and other loves—he finds himself haunted by the memory of his time with David. Their fleeting connection, captured through the music they collected, becomes a touchstone he can’t let go of.
The trailer teases sweeping landscapes, aching glances, and the kind of queer longing we never get tired of seeing on screen. This isn’t just a story about love, it’s about how memory, history, and sound intertwine to preserve what might otherwise be lost. And it’s rare and powerful to see a queer romance treated with such emotional weight and cinematic beauty.
Catch The History of Sound trailer below.
Beyond the romance, this is also a technically rich production. Hermanus directs with the same lyrical touch he brought to Moffie, another queer period piece. The film is produced by End Cue’s Andrew Kortschak and Lisa Ciuffetti, alongside Fat City’s Sara Murphy, and Thérèsa Ryan-van Graan, Zhang Xin, and Hermanus himself. Executive producers include Ollie Madden and Farhana Bhula for Film4, William Horberg and Richard Lewis for Closer Media, Tim Headington, Lia Buman and Neil Shah for Tango Entertainment, and Dennis Masel and Gabrielle Nadig for Storm City Films. Walter Kortschak, Ryan Zacarias, and Andrea Roa also serve as executive producers.
With its gay love story at the center and two of the most compelling actors of their generation leading the way, The History of Sound promises to be one of this year’s most moving queer films. We’ll be counting the days until it hits theaters on September 12.
The History of Sounds will hit theaters on September 12. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Mubi
