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I Swear
2025 121 min United Kingdom, Ireland R 12+
★8.4
Drama, History
Director: Kirk Jones
Trailers
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Description
Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life.
Budget:
$6M
Worldwide:
$13.13M
Starring
Robert Aramayo
Actor
Maxine Peake
Actor
Somerled Campbell
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 2026
— Best Casting
BAFTA 2026
— Best Actor
BAFTA 2026
— Best Supporting Actor
BAFTA 2026
— Best Original Screenplay
Key opinion
I Swear (2025) is widely praised as a sensitive, grounded, and emotionally resonant biographical drama that avoids the pitfalls of manipulative sentimentality. Robert Aramayo's lead performance is consistently highlighted as a masterclass in empathy, effectively balancing the physical realities of Tourette syndrome with profound human depth.
| Acting | Robert Aramayo provides a deeply humanizing and nuanced portrayal that captures the internal exhaustion of living with Tourette syndrome rather than merely mimicking its symptoms. | |
| Emotion | The film successfully avoids the traps of "poverty porn" or melodramatic manipulation, opting instead for a grounded, sincere, and humanistic approach to disability. | |
| Theme | The narrative expertly balances humor and tragedy, utilizing the absurdity of the condition to foster empathy rather than cheap laughs or ridicule. | |
| Originality | The integration of documentary footage and the biographical structure works well for most, though some viewers feel the hybrid style weakens the dramatic tension of the narrative. |