THE STORY – “Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger” explores the explosive emotional impact of Liam and Noel Gallagher’s triumphant Oasis reunion tour Live ’25 including their first joint interviews in over 25 years and never before filmed rehearsals, as well as celebrating what their music means to audiences and generations around the world.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Dylan Southern & Will Lovelace (Directors)
THE RUNNING TIME – 122 Minutes
The Manchester-based rock band Oasis led a revolution in the 1990s, becoming the biggest thing since The Beatles and capturing the souls of millions around the world. Brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher made a name for themselves as the prickly underdogs championing working-class people and being a symbol of not giving a flying f— about pleasing others. Unfortunately, those attitudes got them in trouble with themselves when, right before a concert in 2009, they got in a massive fight that pulled the plug on the beloved group. Fans compared that breakup to losing a child and wondered for years whether there would ever be a chance at reconciliation.
16 years later, that fantasy became reality when the brothers announced they had made amends and would be hitting stadiums all around the world in 2025. Would it be the comeback to end all comebacks, or would it end in total disaster again? Directors Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace give fans a peek behind the curtain in their documentary “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger,” which features new interviews with the brothers and exclusive footage from rehearsals and their concerts. Don’t expect much revelation about what went down in 2009, because the notoriously doing-things-their-own-way siblings don’t dwell on the past here, which seemingly defeats the purpose of making this film. However, that also gives way for the film to focus more on the fans by incorporating personal anecdotes of what this band means for so many around the world. It gives the project an unexpected, heartfelt core that shows just how powerful music is.
The first day of rehearsals for the tour feels like the first day of school. Noel, the songwriter and lead guitarist, arrives with his bandmates, and there’s a palpable nervousness in the air. Though no one says it out loud, it’s easy to imagine their thoughts: How is this all going to go? Will we be up for the task once? Things start off fairly well, but when frontman Liam arrives the following day, you can literally feel a shift in the room as everyone is trying not to ignite World War III. He’s also not making it any better by mainly keeping to himself, barely looking at Noel, and leaving whenever he pleases, sometimes as the band is still playing. These backstage looks at our favorite artists are rarely seen, and it’s one of the stronger aspects of Southern and Lovelace’s film. Unfortunately, there are no complementing talking head interviews to recount how they were feeling in the room together after all those years. Maybe the brothers didn’t want to get into it themselves or the directors didn’t want to press their luck, but either way it doesn’t give us a whole lot to work with. Thankfully, we can hear the other band members gossiping and expressing their own discomfort with the situation, which doesn’t make it all a wasted opportunity.
When the tour begins, the film ends up playing more like a concert film than a standard documentary. There’s snappy editing by George Cragg showing the high-level of anticipation that fans are feeling, juxtaposed with a calmer environment backstage as the band slowly assembles. He also blends archival footage from their earlier days to show just how much time has passed. As is a recurring problem, we don’t get much from the brothers, but the two of them holding hands as they walk out is a powerful moment. As the chords of their song “Hello” take over the arena, you can’t help but feel giddy from all the energy that’s in the room and the electrifying sounds coming from the speakers. If there was any doubt that they’d sound nearly as good as they once did, those thoughts are squashed immediately. Liam, donning sunglasses and windbreakers at every performance, looks as calm as ever on stage, while Noel is a bit more reserved on the guitar. Eventually, he gives us the ever-so-slightest insight into the nerves he’s feeling, and that he can’t believe how cool and composed Liam is just a few feet away. It takes some time, but these two start opening up gradually in the doc, reflecting on looking out into the crowd and taking in the sheer amount of love and joy they’re receiving. Later, they give each other kudos for the work and personalities they bring, with Noel even calling Liam a delight, a word he never would have associated with his brother. It may not be the nitty-gritty content that people would want, but it clearly shows that their relationship, at that time, was still a work in progress and that they’re much more mature compared to how they once were. But don’t worry, there’s still plenty of f-bombs and cheeky quips that will get audiences laughing. Much time has passed since they were the squirrelly rockstars thrust onto the scene, but it’s good to know that some things never change.
Something that’s constantly reinforced in the film is the impact of Noel’s lyrics on fans, especially those who weren’t even alive when the band was at its peak. At each tour stop, people of all ages gather together to have an almost spiritual and religious experience with the music (there’s even a literal sermon that references the two brothers reconciling and emphasizing the power of forgiveness). Seeing that, the directors then turn the focus onto the spectators, highlighting various stories from around the globe that show, no matter the language or experiences, that Oasis is the band for the people. There’s the working-class people of Manchester, who feel an enormous sense of pride for their hometown band and believe they too can make it big in the world. There’s the Irish, who feel a connection to their freedom anthems. And there’s fans in South America and South Korea, who have found friends through their shared love of the band. As each person highlights one of their favorite songs, it becomes a creative way to indulge in the hits beyond just sitting back and watching them perform (don’t worry, we get to do that too). Though these segments do tend to get repetitive, it’s virtually impossible not to bop your head when the chorus of “Wonderwall” erupts through the stadium.
Overall, “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” leaves much to be desired. There’s not enough exploration of the past between these brothers, or even how they’re patching things up in the present. Considering that’s what virtually any Oasis fan would want from a documentary, there’s missed potential here. At the same time, though, the spotlight on fans is something that other music documentaries don’t often include, and it works quite well in showing just how powerful the medium is. What we can all agree on is that it’s nice to see the brothers together again, and even nicer to hear just how good they sound to this day. Come for the great music and cheeky humor, stay for a sweet story about forgiveness.
