Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor Romance The History of Sound Gets UK Streaming Release

Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s LGBTQ+ romance The History of Sound is getting a major UK streaming release, with the film arriving on Sky Cinema and NOW on 12 September 2026.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus and based on stories by Ben Shattuck, the film follows Lionel Worthing and David White, two young musicians who meet at the Boston Music Conservatory in 1917. Their friendship develops into a deeper relationship, but war and the attitudes towards homosexuality at the time make it impossible for them to live openly together.

Mescal plays Lionel, while O’Connor stars as David. After the First World War, the pair reunite and travel through Maine recording traditional folk songs, creating memories that stay with Lionel long after their time together has ended.

The History of Sound is very much an LGBTQ+ love story, but it is also about memory, music and the people who remain important to us even after life takes them in different directions.

Mescal and O’Connor are two of the biggest names in British and Irish film right now. Mescal is known for Normal People, Aftersun and Gladiator II, while O’Connor’s credits include The Crown, Challengers and La Chimera.

The film first attracted major attention when it competed for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. Reviews have generally praised the performances and the film’s restrained emotional style, although its slower pacing has divided some viewers.

Its LGBTQ+ representation sits right at the centre of the story rather than being treated as a side plot. Lionel and David’s relationship shapes both characters and gives the film its emotional weight, particularly as the story looks back on a period when many same sex relationships had to remain hidden.

That makes its arrival on Sky particularly useful for UK audiences who may have missed the cinema release. It also gives the film a chance to find a wider audience through two of Britain’s biggest streaming and pay TV platforms.

Where to watch: The History of Sound arrives on Sky Cinema and NOW in the UK on 12 September 2026.

Watch the Official Trailer:

The official trailer is available now and gives viewers a first look at Lionel and David’s relationship, their music collecting journey and the period setting.