I Swear Movie Review 2026

A moving true story about a Scottish man learning to live with Tourette syndrome while finding his own voice as an advocate, I Swear balances painful realities with unexpected humor, lovable characters, and beautifully hopeful moments, with Robert Aramayo giving an exceptional performance at its heart.

In 2026, most people are familiar with Tourette syndrome. Whether you have family members diagnosed with it or you’ve seen shows like Baylen Out Loud, which focuses on a young woman with Tourette’s, it’s part of general knowledge now. On the one hand, exposing millions of people to specific disorders is incredibly helpful, but on the other hand, it feels like it’s been done as a bit of a sideshow. I have Vitiligo, and I see people with Vitiligo on shows about strange and unusual people. The same thing has happened for people with Tourette syndrome, which tells me that more education is needed.

I Swear is about John Davidson, a real-life Scottish man who started exhibiting twitches and tics, including vocalizing profanities, at 12. Young John was disciplined harshly in school, ridiculed by his classmates, watched the breakup of his parents’ marriage, and felt infantilized by his tired and, ultimately, bitter mother. At 25 years, and having been formally diagnosed with Tourette syndrome, an incurable disorder that he was on medication for, John runs into old friend Murray, who has come home from Australia to help care for his mother, Dottie. Dottie has been given a terminal cancer diagnosis and 6 months to live. After being invited for dinner, John is welcomed by a warm and accepting Dottie, who is familiar with Tourette syndrome from her time working as a nurse, and ultimately moves in with the family. John works to get a job and ultimately be seen for the man he is outside of his diagnosis.

This is an exceptional film that had me laughing a lot and crying several times. It’s incredibly charming and, honestly, a joy to watch. This is a really special movie.

Robert Aramayo’s outstanding performance as John Davidson sets the tone for the entire movie. After watching I Swear, I ran to Google to learn more about him, because this is such a nuanced performance, full of physical and verbal tics and deep vulnerability – it didn’t feel like acting. As it turns out, Aramayo spent lots of time with Mr. Davidson, shadowing him and learning about Tourettes in his life as well as others’. One thing I heard him say is, “If you’ve met one person with Tourettes, you’ve met one person with Tourettes.” There is so much to learn, and each person’s experience is different.

In that vein, the respect given to the condition itself is both respectful and informative. Two people in John’s life thoroughly understand who John is as a human, not just the words he speaks when he tics. As an outsider, it’s easy to assume he means what he says or that he has some control over his words and actions, but he doesn’t. He is just as disturbed by these uncontrollable behaviors until he begins to understand them, and then he sets out to teach others as well – both those with Tourettes and the public in general.

I loved everything about I Swear, and it’s a tribute to a man who has helped educate people and put a face to a misunderstood disorder. John Davidson continues his activism today, and given the gift of this very funny, heartbreaking, tender, uplifting, and emotionally honest film, I would wager to say that this is an additional step in the area of education. This is a beautiful movie, and I hope that everyone gets a chance to see it.

Runtime: 120 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Yes, several times

My Rating: 4.75/5 Stars

Available: Free on Netflix, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms