As a good-vibes-only record of the Live '25 Tour, 'Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger' does an admirable job. But the oddly coy documentary fails to meaningfully address the Gallagher brothers' reconciliation, or why the 2025 reunion was such a phenomenon.
I confess that I wasn’t exactly madferit when heading into Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger.
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Ever since Oasis’ headline-dominating reunion, followed by their 41 stadium shows in 14 countries last year, I’ve reached my Gallagher limit. Beyond the fan worship which makes me think that people have lost all sense of perspective when it comes to Oasis, the release of a documentary chronicling the whole shebang reeked of a prolonged promotional campaign - the next step in a continuing cash-in coup about two gobby and freshly reunited siblings who haven’t released any new material in 18 years.
Still, you gotta roll with it, and I took the time to attend a special IMAX screening of Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern’s documentary, and emerged nearly won over.
As a rousing concert film and a love letter to Oasis fans, Don’t Look Back In Anger gets a lot right, capturing the euphoria the band has generated with their unlikely comeback. This is chiefly thanks to the sound design by The Zone of Interest's Tarn Willers and James Mather, Haris Zambarloukos' stellar cinematography, and some nifty editing by George Cragg and Martina Zamolo. Their talents brilliantly conspire to make the reunion feel impactful - even exhilarating at times.
As a meaningful chronicle of how the comeback came to be and what it represents, it’s not quite biblical.
Don’t Look Back In Anger is frustrating in the way it glosses over all the juicy stuff and skirts the irresistible narrative of how two bickering brothers went from repeatedly calling each other twats to publicly reconciliating.
It begins with an extended montage of the 90s glory days leading to the sudden and ugly falling out in 2009 during Paris’ Rock en Seine festival.
“Le groupe n’existe plus,” an announcer informs the crowd.
Cut to the band’s first rehearsal together in May 2025. No explanation as to what made this possible, no insight into who reached out to who, or how the animosity was dealt with... Before you know it, it's opening night in Cardiff.
While most films would have built up to this moment and chosen to end the film on the crescendo, the directors - and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, here on scripting duties - decide to focus on the music as their film settles into a predictable rhythm and hagiographic tone. Concert clips follow, interspersed with portraits of fans and snippets of interviews with Liam and Noel, who come off as bafflingly well-behaved. As charming as some of these segments are, the brothers' uncharacteristically tame demeanour only contributes to the niggling feeling that the reason behind all of this is a big PR-mandated payday.
This cash grab sensation could have been dismissed had the filmmakers been able to delve more meaningfully into why the band continues to generate overwhelming devotion in fans in Britain and around the world, and why the 2025 reunion was such a cultural and social phenomenon. Sure, emotional fans are seen and heard gushing; and granted, this is about looking forward, not backwards. However, had some of the platitudes been excised in favour of something more resonant about the need for mental time travel leading to the possible mythologising of the "good old days" so that a sense of communion is achieved in trying times, then this could have been a fascinating documentary about overcoming divisions.
There is a clumsy montage teasing this, showing quick-cut footage of Donald Trump, Elon Musk, the rise of AI, but all that's left is Liam declaring: “When Oasis split up, everything went to shit.”
Bold statement, r'kid, as I think you'll find that everything went tits up in 2016 when David Bowie's death tore the fabric of the universe... And speaking of "shit", think again if we're getting any acknowledgement regarding the infuriating dynamic ticket pricing scandal. "There are no cheap seats..." according to the frontman.
For a band that has built a reputation as one "of the people", I audibly scoffed.
For all my bellyaching, Don't Look Back In Anger could have been worse and come off as a cynical puff piece. As a good-vibes-only record of the Live '25 Tour, it does an admirable job. As a sincere snapshot of crowds united by a common appreciation, it's undeniably uplifting. My quibbles persist only because I wanted to be won over, finally, and instead got something which feels like a missed opportunity. Don’t Look Back In Anger could have been a far more cathartic and compelling story of reconciliation and healing had it focused on the difficulties of the past to better look towards a more peaceful future. Instead, audiences will get Noel admitting that his brother Liam is “delightful”.
Still, diehard fans will be too busy singing along to care, while more casual audience members will make do with some admittedly terrific concert footage.
For me, I take some satisfaction in knowing that Don't Look Back In Anger will soon head to Disney+, making it the sweariest film to ever stream on the platform. Unless they decide to re-release an R-rated cut of Ratatouille with Little Chef muttering "fuck" and "cunt" when the yellow summer squash isn't mandolined properly. Now that's definitely maybe something worth considering...
"Hello, Disney? What are your thoughts on sweary revivals?"
Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger is out in select theatres on Friday 11 September before streaming on Disney+ later this year.
