Oasis brothers premiere reunion documentary at Venice Film Festival

Liam and Noel Gallagher arrived at the 83rd Venice Film Festival not by the customary red-carpet car, but by bursting through the entrance of the Festival Palace to hand out fist bumps and autographs to hundreds of waiting fans. The spectacle, soundtracked by the blaring of Wonderwall, served as a vivid performance of the unpredictable Oasis brand. Yet, inside the theater, the new documentary Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger adopts a clinical avoidance of the brand's recent controversies, entirely omitting the dynamic pricing ticket scandal that saw some fans pay significantly more than they expected for the band's 2025 return.

The film, directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace and written by Steven Knight, attempts to pivot the Gallaghers' public legacy away from a history of chaos and toward their musicality. While the brothers appear on screen in their first joint interview in over 20 years, the production prioritizes a celebratory narrative of reconciliation over an intimate accounting of the 15-year silence that followed their 2009 collapse.

Related YouTube video

A Curated Reconciliation

The documentary chronicles the 2025 Live ’25 world tour, which spanned 41 shows across five continents. Rather than focusing on the internal friction of the band, the filmmakers center the experience on the fans. Footage from Cardiff, São Paulo, and Manchester depicts audiences weeping and hugging, with some viewers describing the comeback as a rebirth of Jesus, according to Bluewin.

When the film does venture behind the scenes, it emphasizes a gradual thawing of relations. One sequence shows Noel waiting nervously for Liam to arrive at their first rehearsal. When Liam finally appears, he offers no grand greeting, instead objecting to the acoustic shields on the drums — stating they’re giving me the hump — before performing and leaving without a word, according to Malaymail.

The Mirror describes Noel as pacing nervously while technicians appeared edgy during these rehearsals, depicting Liam as a gun slinging cowboy pushing open the saloon doors upon his entry. After performing the hits, Liam reportedly gathered his black Adidas bag and left the session, leaving the rest of the band in stunned silence.

The transition from this frostiness to the image of the brothers holding hands as they walk onto the stage in Cardiff on July 4, 2025, is presented as a natural evolution.

Steven Knight explained that the brothers were not expected to high-five each other, hug, or cry due to their working-class backgrounds. Instead, the reconciliation was anchored by the next generation. Knight noted that once the brothers' children met and became mates, they became the cement that held the adults together.

The Architecture of a Feud

While the documentary skims over the years of rancor, the historical record of the Gallagher feud is defined by specific, violent eruptions. The most definitive break occurred in 2009 backstage at the Rock en Seine Festival in Paris. According to reporting from Metro, Liam threw a plum at Noel and smashed his guitar, leading Noel to announce the band's breakup that same evening.

This event was the culmination of decades of volatility. In 1994, at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, a misunderstood intake of crystal meth led to a disastrous set and Liam hitting Noel on the head with a tambourine. Other flashpoints included Liam's 2000 insults regarding the paternity of Noel's daughter.

In the documentary, Noel suggests that the things that once bothered them have simply vanished, while Liam attributes the reunion to the music. However, the film avoids explaining exactly why the brothers remained without contact for 15 years, leaving a vacuum where the actual resolution of their grievances should be.

The Business of the 'Event Film'

The release of Don't Look Back in Anger is not merely a musical retrospective but a strategic financial move. Steven Knight admitted to Malaymail that the project was funded because of a clear industry precedent set by other major artists who have bypassed traditional distributors to release tightly controlled tour movies.

By utilizing this model, the Gallaghers can monetize the tour's aftermath while maintaining absolute control over the narrative. The film's eventual transition to Disney+ ensures a wide reach.

Legacy and Aftermath

The brothers reportedly communicate via regular text messages, according to the Mirror. Beyond professional friction, the film touches on personal shifts: Liam discusses his decision to avoid alcohol and cigarettes throughout the tour, while Noel admits he was an emotional mess leading up to the first Cardiff show, according to Malaymail.

The cinema rollout is expansive, with VUE and ODEON confirming screenings across 185 combined locations. In Greater Manchester alone, at least 20 cinemas, including venues in Bolton, Salford Quays, and Wigan, will show the film starting September 9, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.

This cinematic event serves as a strategic precursor to the band's future. While the film reflects on the 41 shows performed across five continents between July and November 2025, it also functions as a marketing tool for the next step: the sale of tickets for a planned 2027 tour.