I SWEAR (NETFLIX) (2025)

SYNOPSIS: Diagnosed with Tourette’s at age 15, John Davidson faced and overcame many hardships from adolescence and early adulthood as a result of what was a little known and entirely misunderstood condition in 1980’s Britain. I SWEAR is a funny, heartfelt and moving account of John’s experiences. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

I Swear is a biographical drama about John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette syndrome (TS), a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics. The film actually received some unwanted attention after the real-life Davidson shouted a racial slur at the 2026 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards ceremony due to his condition. If you’re curious, you can easily look it up online.

Anyway, I Swear might look like an unsuspecting dark comedy from its trailer, but the latest drama from English filmmaker Kirk Jones is much more than that.

The biography begins with a young, confident Davidson who develops TS after starting secondary school. He loses the opportunity to become a professional goalkeeper, gets into trouble at school, and sees his father walk out on the family. Combined with the onset of TS, these setbacks rob Davidson of his promising future and eventually push him to the brink of suicide.

Fast forward several years, and Davidson (now played by BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo) finds refuge in the kindness of Dottie Aschenbach (Maxine Peake), who provides him with much-needed emotional support, care, and a job as a caretaker at the local community centre. That doesn’t mean life suddenly becomes easier, as his frequent involuntary outbursts continue to land him in trouble from time to time.

I Swear is first and foremost an educational story that delves into the struggles of living with TS. Sure, there are moments of humour surrounding Davidson’s constant swearing and involuntary behaviour, but they stem naturally from his condition rather than feeling like forced comic relief. Through Davidson’s eyes, viewers witness the vulnerability and daily challenges faced by those living with TS. Ultimately, the film serves as a mission to raise awareness, foster empathy, and educate both the public and authorities about the condition—something the real-life Davidson has dedicated himself to by becoming a spokesperson for Tourette syndrome sufferers.

While Aramayo more than deserves his Best Actor win, he is surrounded by a superb supporting cast, including Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson as his struggling mother, and Peter Mullan as his mentor at the community centre. The biography is simple in structure, but it never fails to move or uplift by the time the credits roll. Jones proves he knows how to balance heartfelt storytelling with strong performances without letting the film become a plodding affair.

I Swear (pun intended) is good.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee