The History of Sound: First reviews are in of Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s ‘tender’ gay romance film

Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor (Images: Searchlight Pictures and ITV)

The first reviews are in for Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor‘s new movie The History of Sound, with one critic calling it “the Brokeback of today.”

Directed by Oliver Hermanus, the film premiered in the main competition at the 78th Cannes Film Festival last night (21 May 2025), where it was nominated for the Palme d’Or.

The hotly anticipated film won a six-month standing ovation at last night’s screening.

Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal in a still from The History of Sound (Image: Universal)

The History of Sound focuses on Lionel (Mescal) and David (O’Connor), who, ‘during the WW1 period, set out to record the lives, voices, and music of their countrymen’, as per the film’s official synopsis.

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