

The History of Sound
In 1917, two young music students attending the Boston Conservatory bond over a mutual love of folk music. They reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song-collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine.
TMDB
7.0/10
164 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $2.5M
- Box office
- $3.2M
- Language
- English
- world war i
- boston, massachusetts
- conservatory
- folk music
- road trip
- maine
- male homosexuality
- period drama
- new england
- based on short story
- oxford, england
- lgbt
Top billed cast

















Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
United Kingdom, United States of America, Sweden
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
IndiaIN
- TheatricalA23 Jan 2026
United StatesUS
- PremiereTelluride Film Festival30 Aug 2025
- TheatricalR12 Sept 2025
- Digital / OTTRMUBI1 Nov 2025
United KingdomGB
- PremiereBFI London Film Festival18 Oct 2025
- Theatrical1523 Jan 2026
AustraliaAU
- PremiereMRussell Hobbs British Film Festival8 Nov 2025
- TheatricalM18 Dec 2025
CanadaCA
- Theatrical19 Sept 2025
- Digital / OTTMUBI1 Nov 2025
ArgentinaAR
- Theatrical+1319 Feb 2026
AustriaAT
- PremiereVienna International Film Festival22 Oct 2025
BelgiumBE
- PremiereOstend Film Festival3 Feb 2026
- Theatrical25 Feb 2026
BrazilBR
- PremiereSão Paulo International Film Festival16 Oct 2025
- Theatrical1426 Feb 2026
- Digital / OTT14VOD12 Apr 2026
ChileCL
- Theatrical1429 Jan 2026
EstoniaEE
- PremiereTallinn Black Nights Film Festival7 Nov 2025
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival21 May 2025
- PremiereDeauville American Film Festival 7 Sept 2025
- PremiereFestival Chéries Chéris21 Nov 2025
- Theatrical25 Feb 2026
Frequently asked questions
The History of Sound was released on 12 September 2025.
Audience reviews
4- B9/10
badelf
11/7/2025
The History of Sound: The Casablanca of the 21st Century "The History of Sound" is an incredibly powerful love story, I'm calling it the "Casablanca" of the 21st century. That's not hyperbole. Like Bogart's immortal line: "If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life." Oliver Hermanus's film understands the we…
- B
Bessie
11/9/2025
Brokeback for Academics I liked it, but it needed much much much more music. My folk music loving heart is melting.
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
1/30/2026
Man of the moment Paul Mescal also had a hand on the tiller of this drama about a musical prodigy (“Lionel”) who grew up subsistence farming in rural Kentucky. With little to entertain the family but their own skills, he was not only a singer but he could imagine music as something altogether more tangible than most. It’s at a conservatory that he encounters kindred spirit “David” (Josh O’Connor) and swiftly the two …
- W
WhiteBalloonProductions
2/9/2026
This film didn't get the attention it deserved. It is a slow, slow burn, and patience is required. The payoff is explosive. What an incredible story, brought to life by actors who have such a gift and understanding of the power of subtlety and nuance.
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