Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor Star in The History of Sound on MUBI
- TalkTeaV
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 21 hours ago

Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal in The History of Sound (2025). Image courtesy of MUBI
The History of Sound begins streaming exclusively on MUBI on November 1, 2025, bringing together Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in a deeply emotional period romance directed by Oliver Hermanus. Adapted from Ben Shattuck's short story, the film captures how love and music intertwine across time and distance.
Set in 1917, the story follows Lionel (Mescal), a gifted music student at the Boston Conservatory, who meets David (O'Connor), sparking a brief but transformative connection. Years later, the two cross paths again and embark on a journey through the woods of Maine, recording folk songs and rediscovering their shared bond. As the melodies they collect echo through Lionel's life, the film explores how music becomes a vessel for love, loss, and remembrance.
Director Oliver Hermanus, known for his Academy Award-nominated film Living, brings a quiet intimacy to the screen. His visual storytelling captures both the sweep of early 20th-century America and the delicate emotional landscape of its characters. The film also features Chris Cooper, adding depth to a story praised by critics as "achingly beautiful" (Elle) and "a cinematic romance for the ages" (The Playlist).
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Oliver Hermanus and Paul Mescal on the set of The History of Sound (2025). Photo courtesy of MUBI.
"This film is a true passion project. It has been a part of my life, and the lives of Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor, for the past five years, and I could not be more thrilled to have found partners in MUBI in North America and Focus and UPI internationally," said Hermanus. They champion the cinema I love, and having our film as part of their family of films has made this journey all the more fruitful."
Hermanus has built a reputation for crafting emotionally rich and socially conscious stories. His earlier works, including Moffie and Skoonheid, earned recognition at Cannes and Venice for their honest portrayal of human connection and identity. With The History of Sound, he turns his lens to the power of art and memory, continuing his tradition of storytelling that lingers long after the credits roll.
As Deadline described it, the film is "a quietly masterful love story," one that resonates through its music as much as its silence. For fans of nuanced storytelling and historical romance, The History of Sound is poised to become one of the year's most affecting releases.
Filming took place across New Jersey, Italy, and the United Kingdom, and is produced by End Cue’s Andrew Kortschak and Lisa Ciuffetti, alongside Fat City's Sara Murphy and Closer Media's Zhang Xin. Additional production and financing support comes from Film4, Closer Media, Tango, and Storm City Films.
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