How to watch The History of Sound in New Zealand
Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal hear the music in this romantic drama,
Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor star in this tragic queer love story. And that alone should be enough to get you into the cinema for this one.
How to watch The History of Sound in New Zealand
The History of Sound is screening exclusively in New Zealand cinemas from December 18, 2025.
What is The History of Sound about?
Written by Ben Shattuck, and based on a pair of his short stories (“The History of Sound” and “Origin Stories”), The History of Sound follows the decades-spanning relationship between musicologists Lionel and David. They meet at Boston Conservatory just prior to World War I and, after the war, travel across Maine recording folk songs onto wax cylinders for posterity. But David is wracked with post traumatic stress disorder following his horrific wartime experiences, and the world is a horribly homophobic place, so a happy ending might not be on the cards.
The cast of The History of Sound
Paul Mescal is Lionel Worthing, with Chris Cooper as the older Lionel; Josh O’Connor is David White; Molly Price is Lionel’s mother; Raphael Sbarge is Lionel Worthing Sr.; Hadley Robinson is Belle Sinclair; Emma Canning is Clarissa Roux; Emily Bergl is Mrs. Roux; Briana Middleton is Thankful Mary Swain; Gary Raymond is William Swain; Alison Bartlett is Samantha; and Michael Schantz is Bob.
The History of Sound trailer
Why we’re excited about The History of Sound
The obvious point of comparison here is Brokeback Mountain, another decade-spanning LGBTQI+ period romance. But that’s okay—we can have more than one! Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor are two of the hottest actors on the planet right now, just like Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger were back in the day, come to think of it. Early word is that this is one of the must-see films of the year.
