The reviews for the new Oasis film have landed. Don’t Look Back In Anger received its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival today (September 5), which saw the Gallagher brothers reunite in front of paparazzi to promote the new film, which will be released in cinemas next week.
From acclaimed directors Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, the film features behind-the-scenes footage from the band’s Live ’25 reunion tour, as well as the Gallagher’s first joint interview since the series of gigs began last July. It has also been written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.
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Ahead of its cinema release on Wednesday (September 9) and its arrival on streaming platform Disney+ later this year, reviews for the film have been published today following the world premiere at the prestigious festival and it appears to be a resounding success. The documentary has been hailed as both a ‘beautiful, emotional thing’ and ‘powerfully nostalgic’.
For a review in the Manchester Evening News, What’s On editor Jenna Campbell said the documentary was a ‘triumphant homage to Manchester’s favourite sons’, but features a series of ‘tense’ and ‘even a little stilted’ initial interactions with the brothers as they begin rehearsals for the 41-date tour.
Giving her verdict on the film, she wrote: “There is no other way around it, what you watch is utterly captivating. Whether you were there or not, you feel part of it again – the tears, the sheer euphoria of people dancing and singing their hearts out – it’s pure alchemy. There’s plenty of humour too, as the two personalities collide and eventually find a meeting point.
“Underpinning it, though, is the story arc of the brother’s relationship. Those first few scenes of rehearsals feel like things remain unsaid, but rather than thrash it out, the gigs themselves feel like the perfect remedy for years of misunderstanding, miscommunication and growing distance.”
You can read the Manchester Evening News’ full review of Don’t Look Back In Anger here.
Also praising the film, Time Out Worldwide’s film editor Phil de Semlyen gave it a five-star review as he said the documentary is ‘loud, hopeful and surprisingly emotional’. TheWrap’s Siddhant Adlakha, meanwhile, said it could ‘turn agnostics into believers’ in a positive breakdown.
The Hollywood Reporter described it as a ‘rich and poignant celebration’, with Richard Lawson writing that directors ‘Lovelace and Southern have compellingly stitched together interviews, performance clips, audience reactions, and a few detours into the lives of individual fans’. He also said it may be the most expletive-laden film to arrive on Disney+ yet.
Lawson added that the brother’s interviews are ‘charmingly self-effacing and humble’, which goes somewhat against the reputation they are used to having in the press – suggesting they may be ‘putting on a good act for the cameras’.
NME’s Rhian Daly said the ‘masterfully done doc captures [the Gallagher’s] journey’, and said ‘watching the pair repair their relationship is a beautiful, emotional thing’ to witness on the screen.
In a four-star review, The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw described it as a ‘mammoth tour movie’ that ‘brings the joy and poignancy of reunion’ to the big screen. He added: “It was always difficult to be cynical about Oasis and now it’s impossible.”
Also giving it four-stars for The Telegraph, film critic Robbie Collin said it is ‘powerfully nostalgic’ but slightly lacking when it comes to any ‘Gallagher gossip’ or drama that some fans may be hoping for.
IndieWire’s Marshall Shaffer also downplayed the drama on-screen, adding: “Anyone expecting fireworks, or even a confrontation of any kind, may be sorely disappointed by how anticlimactic the moment proves.” But the writer said the films ‘offers a definitive behind-the-scenes glimpse of how this secular sanctuary came to be’, even if its lengthy setlist may put off casual viewers.
The film’s release comes as rumours mount over the band’s 2027 touring schedule, as leaks have suggested they could be on the brink of announcing at least 23 UK dates over the summer including a 12-night residency at Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. The band have also been adding to the specualtion with a series of cryptic videos hinting towards Glasgow, Manchester and Munich.
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