Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger Review: A beautifully poignant chronicle of a reunion, once thought impossible

PLOT: Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live ’25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.

REVIEW: While there have been famous break-ups of major bands over the years, few left the impact that Oasis managed to when they parted ways in 2009. At different points, it seemed like bringing Liam and Noel Gallagher back together to perform would be an impossibility. Despite being brothers, their hatred for each other had become the stuff of legend. When the Oasis Reunion tour was announced in 2024, most of us were pretty skeptical. The memes started almost instantly, and it only felt like a matter of time before it all came crumbling down. Would the first concert even happen? Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger chronicles their reunion tour and puts to rest many years of rumors and speculation.

The first 45 minutes are where the film shines the most, getting a brief rundown of the band and the rehearsal process for the reunion tour. You can feel the tension as even the band doesn’t quite know if this is going to work. Liam would only show up for certain days and leave mid-song. Is this something they would have to worry about happening on the tour? Can Noel and Liam get along for the many months that they’d have to be around each other? All of these questions hang heavy in the air. The buildup to the first concert is more than just a return; it’s wondering whether that return will even materialize.

Where Don’t Look Back In Anger manages to differentiate itself from other concert films by its focus on the fans. For every two shots of the band, there’s a shot of fans, completely taken by the music. With each new country, we meet a new fan and hear how they connected with an Oasis song. There’s a lot of emphasis on what these songs mean to people and the cathartic release of seeing them performed live. Seeing people utterly exhausted yet euphoric in the show’s aftermath highlights the importance of these means of escape. This documentary really succeeds in conveying the importance of music and how we connect with it.

It’s quite remarkable to see just how impactful Oasis still is, while being apart for so long. These days, it’s hard to maintain any kind of cultural relevance for very long. Even the band points out how amazing it is to look out at the crowd and see so many people under 30. This means not only did the music connect with fans in the 90s, but they passed that love down to their children. It’s a truly beautiful sentiment, and I found myself getting wrapped up in the emotions of it all quite often.

I’ve always had an appreciation for Oasis, but would never consider myself a hardcore fan. So it was really fascinating to see all of this without any personal stakes and just take everything presented at face value. I know I’ll be listening to some albums in the very near future. The film is presented in a 1.43:1 aspect ratio. I’m usually pretty annoyed when a movie goes full screen for arbitrary reasons, but it seems like it’s done to match the 90s footage. It allows them to seamlessly move between them. I just find the full-screen format insanely limiting in 2026, though I’m sure it looks great on IMAX screens.

What I found most endearing is how Liam and Noel became in the midst of this tour. There’s mention of how they text each other mundane things, as friends often do, yet that had been non-existent in their relationship prior. At one point, they mention their kids didn’t even know each other, and now they’re best friends. Don’t Look Back In Anger chronicles more than just the return of one of the most impactful bands ever; it’s the reunion of a family. While I assumed this would be the story of one last hurrah, instead it’s clearly the beginning of a whole new chapter for Oasis. And I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger is playing in theaters now.

Don’t Look Back in Anger

AMAZING

9

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