‘Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger’ Review: Rock Doc Could Turn Agnostics Into Believers

What’s the story of Oasis? Until recently, it was smashing Britpop success followed by a mayhemic backstage breakup. However, the thundering rock doc “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” hopes to change that perception by way of a behind-the-scenes peek at the reconciliation of brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, and their long-awaited reunion tour in 2025. Directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, the film doesn’t quite succeed at the former, barely providing hints about the siblings’ 2009 schism or their recent resolution. But as a showcase of their music and what it means to people, it’s dazzlingly effective. A quick recap of the duo’s legacy lays out the challenge at hand: Their cultural image is inseparable from, well, their separation, owing to a tension of Type A personalities often visible in interviews. As far as anyone knew, it had been fifteen years since their last conversation by the time the worst kept secret in live music was finally unveiled: a global tour that, to many die-hard fans, once felt like a pipe dream. But before Lovelace and Southern present the Gallaghers’ performances — many of them at length — the first challenge is getting them in a room to rehearse. The band gradually gets back together while awaiting famously chaotic frontman Liam, the anticipation captured in shots like one of an older, mature Noel glancing at an empty mic stand. There’s no mention of the conversations (if any) the brothers have had thus far, ensuring that for better or worse, we see what the group and the filmmakers want us to see about this tour. Each stop on the tour serves a different purpose in the film. The kick-off in Cardiff captures the excitement of getting back together; it’s hard not to be moved when “F*ckin’ in the Bushes” first blares over the stadium speakers, announcing they’ve arrived. Their return to their hometown of Manchester becomes about their upbringing, relayed by local fans with whom they have a special connection. Their shows in Dublin are scored by their thoughts on their Irish heritage, which they relay in voiceover; you can tell Liam is speaking when rambling sentences are followed by “d’you know what I mean?” even though you probably don’t. And their trip to Brazil becomes about the growing breadth of their fandom by introducing us to superfans of Oasis guitarist Bonehead. The approach can feel impersonal at times, but it better colors the full picture of the group and its international appeal. However, the further the lads travel from home, the less “Don’t Look Back in Anger” finds concrete justification for presenting each chapter in full. Their South Korean leg hints at a narrative of globalization, a topic previously covered, and by the time they get to Argentina, the U.S. and elsewhere, the film becomes a fairly standard performance presentation. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since even those unfamiliar with (or agnostic towards) Oasis will quickly become believers, partly because the film’s immersive sound mix makes you feel like you’re in a deafening stadium singing along with thousands. For that reason alone, the film simply must be watched in cinemas, even if the story eventually starts to peter out. Before that can happen, though, the film smartly returns to more intimate territory as it finally approaches the Gallaghers as brothers first and performers second. This personal pivot also helps avoid a nagging issue — though it’s arguably a good problem to have — in the fact that practically every performance builds to an overwhelming crescendo, offering “Don’t Look Back in Anger” numerous climactic off-ramps of which it doesn’t avail. Instead, it finds its way to the movie’s soothing title track by reminding viewers of the necessary escape the group provides in a world just a few years removed from shutting down. Shots of collective joy and revelry in the audience add vital texture, but editors George Cragg and Martina Zamolo avoid the temptation to have the group’s admirers say too much. The movie doesn’t over-explain itself; the private lives of only half a dozen fans are feature to any real extent, each forming a prelude to a different performance in a way that allows the music and its impact to become self-evident. Most concert docs are aimed at preexisting fans. But by letting the music speak for itself, “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” is as welcoming to non-fans as the brothers proclaim to be. The only time the movie feels like it’s elevating Noel and Liam to some invisible pedestal is during shots in super-slow-motion, where the flashing lights stand still and the brothers’ faces are lined with popping veins as they perform. Even in these heightened moments, they’re presented as deeply human, emphasizing the down-to-earth sensations that made their music connect with people in the first place. “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger” will be released in cinemas and select IMAX theaters on Sept. 11 before streaming on Disney+ and Hulu later in the year.