Paul Mescal continues to emerge as one of the finest young actors working today. The Irish actor rose to fame for his lead role in the BBC/Hulu miniseries Normal People, for which he earned an Emmy nomination. From there, Mescal transitioned to film with his feature debut in The Lost Daughter and quickly earned his first Academy Award nomination for his quietly devastating performance as a troubled father in A24’s Aftersun. He also starred in the LGBTQ+ romance All of Us Strangers, earning a BAFTA nomination for his performance.

However, for his first major action blockbuster, Mescal carefully chose Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II, playing the lead role of Lucius, the son of Russell Crowe’s Maximus. Despite expanding to big-budget filmmaking, Mescal hasn’t lost his idenтιтy as an actor and continues to opt mostly for smaller, independent projects that showcase his subtle sensibilities as an actor. This includes his first new movie since Gladiator II, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d’Or.

The History Of Sound Debuts With A Solid Rotten Tomatoes Score

Paul Mescal’s First New Movie Since Gladiator 2 Premiered At Cannes

The History of Sound has debuted with a solid Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Oliver Hermanus, with a script written by Ben Shattuck based on his short story of the same тιтle, the romantic drama follows two young men (played by Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor) who, after World War I, embark on a journey throughout rural America to record the lives, voices, and music of their fellow countrymen and fall in love along the way. The cast also includes Molly Price, Raphael Sbarge, Hadley Robinson, Emma Canning, Briana Middleton, Gary Raymond, Alison Bartlett, and Michael Schantz.

Now, following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, The History of Sound has debuted with a solid 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film only has 19 reviews at the time of writing, so its score is expected to fluctuate as more are published. The film doesn’t yet have an audience score, nor does it have a theatrical release date.

What The History Of Sound’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For The Movie

What Are The Reviews Saying?

The History of Sound‘s Rotten Tomatoes score means that its reviews are mostly positive. For instance, in ScreenRant‘s History of Sound review, Graeme Guttmann writes, “Despite Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor’s stellar chemistry, this wartime drama is more sedated than Sєxy… Oliver Hermanus’ The History of Sound lands somewhere between expectations and the underwhelming pic it flirts with becoming.”

Otherwise, many are praising the film’s quiet emotional depth, subtle romantic storytelling, and strong lead performances, especially Paul Mescal’s, with critics calling him “perfectly cast” and his performance “well-honed.” Overall, Mescal’s quiet intensity and chemistry with co-star Josh O’Connor anchor The History of Sound emotionally, elevating its understated tone and lending depth to its portrayal of love, loss, and longing.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes