Heading into Oasis: Don't Look Back In Anger, I was not exactly madferit. Since the band's headline-dominating reunion and their 41 stadium shows across 14 countries last year, I've hit my Gallagher limit. The fan worship borders on the irrational, and the release of a documentary chronicling the whole affair felt like the next step in a prolonged promotional campaign – a cash-in on two gobby, freshly reunited siblings who haven't released new material in 18 years.
Still, you gotta roll with it. I attended a special IMAX screening of Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern's film, and emerged nearly won over.
A rousing concert film
As a concert film and a love letter to Oasis fans, Don't Look Back In Anger gets a lot right. It captures the euphoria the band has generated with their unlikely comeback, thanks largely to the sound design by The Zone of Interest's Tarn Willers and James Mather, Haris Zambarloukos' stellar cinematography, and nifty editing by George Cragg and Martina Zamolo. Their talents conspire to make the reunion feel impactful – even exhilarating at times.
But as a meaningful chronicle of how the comeback came to be and what it represents, it's not quite biblical.
Glossing over the juicy stuff
The film frustratingly glosses over the irresistible narrative of how two bickering brothers went from repeatedly calling each other twats to publicly reconciling. It opens with an extended montage of the 90s glory days leading to the sudden, ugly falling out in 2009 at Paris's Rock en Seine festival. “Le groupe n'existe plus,” an announcer tells the crowd.
Cut to the band's first rehearsal together in May 2025. No explanation of what made this possible, no insight into who reached out to whom, 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 ended on the crescendo, the directors – and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, here on scripting duties – choose to focus on the music. The 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 this is a PR-mandated payday.
A missed opportunity for depth
This cash-grab sensation could have been dismissed had the filmmakers delved more meaningfully into why the band continues to generate overwhelming devotion in Britain and worldwide, and why the 2025 reunion was such a cultural and social phenomenon. Sure, emotional fans are seen and heard gushing; 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, the mythologising of the “good old days”, and the sense of communion achieved in trying times, 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, and 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.
Verdict
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. It 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”.
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?
