Box Office
Underperformed · 1.3xBudget$2.5M
Worldwide Gross$3.2M
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The History of Sound
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The History of Sound
movie·R·Sep 12, 2025·
Box OfficeUnderperformed · 1.3x
$2.5M
Budget
$3.2M
Gross
Shop
Shop this title
The History of Sound
We may earn a commission from purchases through these links.
Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.
Explore Prime Video — Opens in a new tab
Catalog availability and subscription terms vary.
The History of Sound
movie
R
September 12, 2025
Wokeometer Rating
9Woke
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke
TL;DR Verdict
The History of Sound earns its 9/10 woke score by building the entire plot and marketing around a gay romance between two music students, treating the folk-song journey as mere scenery. Skip it if you want stories free of identity-driven messaging.
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Detailed Analysis
The History of Sound centers its entire premise and emotional arc on the clandestine gay romance between music students Lionel Worthing (Paul Mescal) and David White (Josh O'Connor).
They meet in 1917 at the New England Conservatory, immediately bond over folk music before having sex, then reunite post-WWI for a song-collecting trip through rural Maine where their relationship deepens as the narrative focus. The provided poster imagery of the two men in an intimate forehead-touching embrace directly foregrounds this male couple dynamic as the selling point, with the folk-music journey serving primarily as backdrop for their love story rather than an independent plot driver.
Key Factors
- Core premise and plot revolve around a same-sex romance between established lead characters in a 1917-1920s historical setting
- Intimate male couple imagery on marketing materials and early explicit sexual encounter establish the relationship as the central emotional driver
- Director Oliver Hermanus's prior queer-focused films and the adaptation's emphasis on the protagonists' love affair over folk-music preservation or wartime elements
Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.
Detailed BreakdownPro
Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism
See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.
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Is The History of Sound Woke?
We've run a full content analysis on The History of Sound and scored it 9/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woke content is in The History of Sound?
Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into The History of Sound's overall score.
Is The History of Sound family-friendly?
Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). The History of Sound is rated R. For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the age rating to decide if it's right for your family.
How does Wokeometer score movies?
We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →
