I Swear

Released 2025. Director: Kirk Jones

THE FIRST TIME I MET SOMEONE WITH Tourette Syndrome I was conducting a group research when a man suddenly let out an almighty yelp as he flung his arm in the air. The gentleman seated next to him almost jumped out of his skin. The presence of a person with Tourette can feel confronting, alarming, even offensive when they spout slurs and rude remarks that could be racist, sexist, homophobic, pornographic, or all of the above.

Why do they do that? Not many of us know much about Tourette Syndrome and it's because of this lack of understanding that we don't know what to do, other than an instinctive reaction, which is usually shock, anger and perhaps retaliation.

I Swear is based on the true story of John Davidson, whose life as a normal 13-year-old football-loving Scottish boy in the early 1990s is about to take a sharp turn as the symptoms of this little-known condition proves far worse than the onset of puberty. John begins to develop tics and twitching. Rude words will burst from his mouth to the shock of everyone including himself. At dinner he spits his food at his family, mortified by his own behaviour. At school he calls his principal the C-word to his face, apologising profusely for his outburst. And it only gets worse.

Life is distressing for John, who doesn't know why he's changing into a person he has no control over. His parents are angry and confused. Everybody thinks the boy is simply behaving in an atrocious manner.

The movie then jumps ahead 13 years and now John is 26, still living with his mother in the same town, having dropped out of school and jobless. Still yelling and spurting very bad words everywhere he goes, though there's a name for his condition now. He tells people he has Tourette Syndrome, but how many offended people in the shops or in the streets have even heard of the term? John is just that weird guy, possibly sick in the head. So people generally shun him and leave him be.

The movie patiently chronicles the next few years in John's life. He reunites with an old friend Murray whose mother Dottie, a former mental-health nurse, wishes to help John so she invites John to live with them. Dottie helps John get a job at the local community centre. John has a taste of independence when he's granted tenancy in a council flat. He loves his work and later, finds a purpose by gradually becoming an advocate for the awareness and understanding of Tourette, connecting people with the condition and educating the public. More than 20 years of advocacy work later, John is awarded an MBE award by the Queen. Before you ask, yes, he swears at the ceremony within earshot of Her Majesty.

I Swear is a competent biopic and so much more than simply a “disease drama” because it never lets the condition overshadows the person. The focus doesn't waver from the struggle and identity behind the tics and swearing. You feel like you've known John all his life – his anxiety, his hopes, his sense of humour – because John is a character portrayed with absolute compassion and authenticity, brought to life by an alternately forceful and tender performance by Robert Aramayo.

Kirk Jones' direction efficiently balances pathos and humour. We laugh at the situations, but never at John. Jones' script also shines the spotlight equitably on the cast playing important people in John's life, including Maxine Peake as Dottie, Peter Mullan as his sympathetic boss Tommy, Shirley Henderson as his mother Heather and Scott Ellis Watson needs to be singled out for his acting debut as young John.

The filmmakers' intention, apart from telling John's story, is quite clearly to educate the audience on Tourette. We're told on more than one occasion that people with the condition “can't help it and don't mean what they say.” On that point, if only they'd gone a little further to shed light on why John (and others) use offensive language. Why does their brain not make them cry out anything else, like “God save the Queen!” or “I love you!” or “You're f---king awesome!” instead of the outrageous?

I understand that it's beyond the scope of a movie like this to explain the complexities of a neurological condition. I'm also certain by making such a remark I'm exposing my own ignorance; but I believe that's a legitimate question most of us in the audience ask.

Similarly, there's something missing when the movie fast-forwards from John's initial manifestations of his symptoms to a full acceptance in his mid 20s. If we had a chance to see John's and his family's first reaction to being told about Tourette Syndrome, a short scene would've served as an opportunity to hear from a doctor what it is and why John is behaving this way.

Whatever minor flaws do not diminish I Swear from being a compelling viewing. The movie hits its emotional peak in the scenes where John meets other people with Tourette's. The feeling that he's no longer alone and that we've been blind to those in our own community who might be hiding away is a powerful moment.

One of the things John most wanted to do but could never do was to go into a library. In an unexpected moment he's finally able to. This moment in the movie is as quiet as it is staggering. It occurred to me as I sat there that I was watching a movie about a man who can't just walk into a cinema like you and I do, for something he has no control over. Maybe there should be a small monthly session for people with Tourette. I'm sure they'd love to do it every now and then, even if they keep swearing at the screen.

Click image above to view trailer. New window will open.