Our take
The History of Sound is an R-rated period drama about two music students bonding over folk songs before WWI separates them. Expect grief, mature relationship themes, drinking, and moderate language. Emotional rather than action-heavy. Older teens and adults
Uplifting themes
Uplifting themes of hope, connection, or perseverance in the story Uplifting behavior of hope, connection, or perseverance in the story
AMU ages are independent editorial opinions. They are not legal classifications and are not issued by the Classification Board, the MPAA, or any other official classification body. Official labels on this site, such as PG or R, come from those bodies or our data sources, not from AMU. AMU guides are not a substitute for official classification. Cuts and details can differ by version. Use them as one input only. You decide what is right for your family.
Story (may spoil tone)
In 1917, two young music students attending the Boston Conservatory bond over a mutual love of folk music. They reconnect a few years later, embarking on a song-collecting trip in the backwaters of Maine.
Details
Violence Brief threat or conflict without graphic violence
Brief threat or conflict without graphic violence
Language Occasional damn, hell, and s-word during stressful moments
Occasional damn, hell, and s-word during stressful moments
Sex / nudity Intimate relationship themes without explicit scenes emphasized
Intimate relationship themes without explicit scenes emphasized
Drugs / alcohol Occasional alcohol or smoking references in dialogue
Occasional alcohol or smoking references in dialogue
Frightening No frightening found in this title
No frightening found in this title
Bullying / discrimination No bullying found in this title
No bullying found in this title
Gore / death / weapons No gore found in this title
No gore found in this title
Dangerous behaviour No dangerous behavior found in this title
No dangerous behavior found in this title
Eating disorders / body image No eating found in this title
No eating found in this title
Mental health No mental health found in this title
No mental health found in this title
Gambling No gambling found in this title
No gambling found in this title
Grief / bereavement War loss and mourning shape the decades-spanning romance
War loss and mourning shape the decades-spanning romance
Talk after watching
- Music connects people across distance and war. Which songs carry memory for you?
- War reshapes young love and ambition. How do choices echo years later?
- Friendship and romance blur in artistic partnerships. What boundaries matter?