The remarkable real-life story of Scottish Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson takes center stage in I Swear, the new biographical drama directed by Kirk Jones.
Based on Davidson’s life and inspired by the 1989 documentary John’s Not Mad, the film stars Robert Aramayo in the lead role, alongside Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, and Peter Mullan, with Scott Ellis Watson portraying Davidson as a child.
The film recently triumphed at the 2026 British Academy Film Awards, where Robert Aramayo won the BAFTA for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
I Swear world premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it screened in the Centrepiece program and is scheduled to open in theaters in the U.S. on April 24, 2026, via Sony Pictures Classics.
I Swear tells the true story of John Davidson, a young man growing up in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, who begins experiencing uncontrollable tics and vocal outbursts as a teenager. At a time when Tourette syndrome was barely understood, Davidson struggled with bullying, social isolation, and misunderstanding from those around him. Despite these challenges, he eventually becomes an advocate and campaigner for awareness, helping educate the public about the neurological condition and the realities faced by those who live with it. The film follows Davidson’s journey from confusion and hardship toward acceptance and resilience, shining a light on a condition that was long misunderstood.
Writing in The Guardian, critic Peter Bradshaw praised the movie as “funny, fierce and full of heart,” writing, “I Swear contains a great performance from Robert Aramayo, full of intelligence and charm, and it raises relevant questions about the overdiagnosis debate surrounding conditions such as ADHD and autism, as well as the larger tonal point of how, when and whether to laugh at John or with him.”
Watch the official trailer for I Swear above.
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