Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor kiss and fall in love in moving The History of Sound trailer
Josh O’Connor and Paul Mescal star as lovers in The History of Sound (MUBI/Universal Pictures)
Josh O'Connor and Paul Mescal star as lovers in The History of Sound (MUBI/Universal Pictures)
The History of Sound, which stars Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor as star-crossed lovers, has just received its first trailer, and it’s a moving watch.
The new trailer serves as the first full look at Gladiators II heartthrob Paul Mescal and Challengers actor Josh O’Connor as young men Lionel and David, who fall for each other in a post World War I landscape thanks to the power of music.
The trailer begins with Lionel hearing David sing and play the piano in a bar, and he moves over to talk with him, instantly captivated by his voice.
It cuts to the pair kissing in the shadows of a stairwell and then stroking each other in bed, their affection for each other instantly apparent.
Yet their romance is fleeting, as the couple’s lives become distant and they move along on different paths. The trailer shows Lionel living in Europe with a wife and children, and David decked out in military attire, seemingly heading back to war.
“Don’t die,” Lionel urges him.
Mescal fans also get to hear the Oscar-nominated Aftersun star use his pipes, as he belts out a song in the second half of the powerful trailer.
The official synopsis reads: “Two young music students, Lionel and David, attending the Boston Conservatory in 1917, bond over their shared love of folk music. They reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine.”
Adapted from the short story of the same name by Ben Shattuck, The History of Sound is helmed by Shirley Adams and Beauty director Oliver Hermanus.
The historical romance drama recently received its premiere at Cannes Film Festival, to mixed reviews from critics. While some lauded O’Connor and Mescal’s performances in the “elegant and heartbreaking” film, others dubbed it a Brokeback Mountain rip-off.
Mescal hit back at the Brokeback Mountain comparisons during a press conference, referring to them as “lazy”.
It’s not the first time Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor have played queer characters in their careers, with O’Connor shooting to fame as gay farmer in God’s Own Country back in 2017.
Last year, Mescal starred alongside Andrew Scott in ghostly, gay romance film, All of Us Strangers.
The History of Sound is due for theatrical release on 12 September in the US and 19 September in Canada.
A UK release date is yet to be announced.
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