In 1917, two young students at the New England Conservatory of Music – Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor) – form an intense and immediate bond, only to be disrupted by the outbreak of the Great War. Following the conflict, they reunite to embark on an ambitious journey across rural Maine to record the fading folk songs of their countrymen on wax cylinders. As they capture the ephemeral sounds of a vanishing America, they must navigate the complexities of their own forbidden romance and the lingering trauma of the war.

An evocative romance set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, The History of Sound is a melancholic and visually stunning exploration of intimacy, memory, and the preservation of culture. In addition to a meticulous and atmospheric production, the film soars on the profound chemistry between magnetic stars-on-the-rise Mescal (Aftersun, Gladiator II) and O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man, Challengers).