Tourette’s Syndrome is a neurological medical condition. I have heard of the diagnosis in my past work history, but I am not fully informed about the effects. Those effects are not immediately visible; thus, people who are unaware of this condition may be surprised, offended, or experience more negative reactions. The film from writer/director Kirk Jones, “I Swear,” is about Scottish activist John Davidson’s life with Tourette’s Syndrome from childhood to adulthood. It is very moving to see his experience from his early onset – heartbreaking – to seeing him grow and then leading to a life of educating the public about Tourette’s Syndrome. Even with watching the hard parts of how he was treated, it is a very good film to learn from and to view the outstanding performance by BAFTA Best Actor awardee Robert Aramayo (“Game of Thrones”), who portrays Davidson.
This neurological condition can cause severe effects in social situations. The most visible include tics, involuntary jerking, and, for some, uncontrollable shouting of offensive language.
Although the film begins in 2019, when he is formally recognized by Queen Elizabeth II for his advocacy on behalf of people with Tourette’s, it then returns to his youth, when the effects began to appear around age 14 (played by an excellent actor, Scott Ellis Watson). No one seems to be aware of what his condition is – or even believes that this was a condition – and not just teenage rebellion. It is sad to see the lack of parental and school support for what he is going through at a time when no one seems to understand. What he endured at such a young age, within his family dynamic and educational life, was very hard for me to watch.
By his late 20s, he is still living at home with his mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson), and is unemployed. He runs into an old friend from school and meets his mother, Dottie (Maxine Peake), a nurse who is dealing with signs of cancer. She is very empathetic, and her help and kindness make a world of difference for John. Dottie leads him to apply for a job as an assistant custodian at a local community center. His boss, Tommy (Peter Mullan), is kind, sets the work rules, and John enjoys the work setting. It was certainly life-changing. Despite some setbacks, he has great opportunities to interact with a family with a child who has the same condition. There are some great scenes from this interaction and how it led to additional work to educate the community about the condition. For his work, he received an award from Queen Elizabeth II, and during the ceremony, he shouted something due to his Tourette’s Syndrome. It was acknowledged as such, with no punishment, unlike the one he had endured in his younger life.
The cast also includes David Carlyle as Chris, among others.
The film is now playing in theaters as of April 24, 2026.
Source: Sony Pictures Classics