The History Of Sound largely includes a narration from one of its lead characters, Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal – Gladiator), who tells how he could ‘see’ music as a young boy, as it opens in Kentucky, 1910, his older self (Chris Cooper – A Beautiful Day In The Neighbourhood), telling us how he can remember songs 100% after just hearing them once, that talent picked up in his formative years.
Moving ahead to 1917, a chance meeting in a bar with lecturer David White (Josh O’Connor – Lee, Challengers), leads to a dalliance which is cut short as America is brought into World War I, and David gets the draft, leaving Lionel still living with his parents, but even after getting up in the day, there’s nothing to do in the morning, because Jeremy Vine isn’t on the tellybox.
But after the war, does Lionel go to meet David? On the train you can!
And, on David’s return, his school commissions a long trip allowing him and Lionel to travel around America, using what’s basically the world’s first MP3 recorder, as they record people singing onto wax cylinders, capturing audio that would otherwise never be heard again, which rather reminded me of a similar premise in the videogame Season: A Letter to the Future, where you’re trying to experience as many sights and sounds as possible before the place is wiped out. Thankfully, things aren’t as apocalyptic, here.
Sometimes, they even sing together, but they’re less Simon & Garfunkel, and more like Robson & Jerome.
As The History Of Sound played out, I wondered whether or not it was based on a true story. It isn’t, but it is based on the screenwriter’s own SHORT story, even though it makes for a LONG two hours, before the end credits begin.
The trailer made it look like the pair are joined at the hip for the entire movie, but it’s safe to say that circumstances send them in different directions around halfway through, with Lionel going to work in Rome and then wanting to travel to England – presumably for our great weather(!), and you’re then wondering if and when they’ll meet again, since it’s fairly early into the 20th Century, they’re in completely different locations – and sometimes, countries – and it’s not as if you can just ‘DM’ each other and arrange a meet-up.
Then again, even in the modern era, two friends can say, “Yeah, we need to arrange a catch-up” and you’re then wondering when that’ll ever happen! The more things change…
The History Of Sound is is slightly more interesting in the second half, but it’s still extremely dull, as it’s so “Gritty BAFTA…”, but if it’s even boring The Guardian, it must be bad!
Still, it’s been rated 15-cert for “brief strong sex”. Looked more like a brief fumble to me. I’d have put this down to a 12A, since there’s zero risque content elsewhere.
And lately, after Hamnet, I feel like Paul Mescal is following me from screen to screen, like Mr Burns in The Simpsons, when he’s harrassing Homer to give him back Bobo the teddy bear. It also makes me wonder why this film was released now, while the bigger Hamnet will be onscreen for some time, as it’ll be overlooked.
The History Of Sound is in cinemas now, and is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD.
NOTE: There are no mid- nor post-credits scenes.
Detailed specs:
Cert: 
Running time: 128 minutes
Release date: January 23rd 2026
Studio: Film 4, Fat City
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (ARRIRAW (4.6K))
Cinema: Odeon Trafford Centre
Rating: 3/10
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Producers: Lisa Ciuffetti, Oliver Hermanus, Andrew Kortschak, Sara Murphy, Thérèsa Ryan
Screenplay: Ben Shattuck
Short story: Ben Shattuck
Music: Oliver Coates
Cast:
Lionel Worthing: Paul Mescal
David White: Josh O’Connor
Lionel’s Mother: Molly Price
Lionel’s Father: Raphael Sbarge
Mary Conway: Aedin Moloney
Will Swain: Dion Graham
Samantha: Alison Bartlett
Thankful Mary Swain: Briana Middleton
Young Lionel: Leo Cocovinis
Lionel’s Grandfather: Tom Nelis
Vincent: Alessandro Bedetti
Clarissa Roux: Emma Canning
Mr. Roux: Michael David Smith
Mrs. Roux: Emily A Bergl
Nathan: Peter Mark Kendall
Isabelle: Sophie Hearn
Belle Sinclair: Hadley Robinson
Bob Sinclair: Michael Schantz
Barbara: Stephanie Fayerman
Lionel (older): Chris Cooper
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.