Released ten years after Asif Kapadia’s “Supersonic,” which notably omitted the Gallagher brothers’ estrangement, “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” places the siblings’ feud at the forefront. Premiering at the Venice Film Festival, the concert film by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace transitions from the infamous Rock en Seine incident—where the brothers refused to share a stage—to the tense rehearsals of their 2025 reunion.
Despite the palpable anxiety surrounding the project, the filmmakers choose not to highlight any genuine conflict. The resulting portrait is notably unvarnished, with Noel and Liam appearing guarded and professionally distant during interviews. Liam is described by bandmates as unusually “business-like,” contributing to a narrative that feels more like public relations management than an honest look at the band’s history.
The two-hour runtime devotes significant attention to fans, yet it misses an opportunity to deeply analyze the cultural nostalgia driving the tour’s success in post-Brexit, post-pandemic Britain. While Liam briefly remarks that “everything went to shit” after the split, the film only tangentially addresses how national turmoil influenced the phenomenon.
Concert footage reveals a fervent, young crowd exhibiting what police describe as a “herd mentality.” However, the film shifts toward sentimentality rather than visceral energy. Interludes featuring fans from Brazil and South Korea, along with a Manchester Arena bombing survivor, feel forced. A sermon comparing the reunion to a pilgrimage further clashes with the band’s ethos.
Critics argue the documentary resembles a cash grab, particularly given the irony of highlighting working-class roots while ticket prices exclude the very demographic the band emerged from. Ultimately, the polite tone strips the event of the intensity and authenticity that define Oasis’s legacy.
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