I SWEAR

Tics, sudden movements and unpredictable outbursts appear, including swearing – something already hinted at in the film’s cleverly ambiguous title, which can refer both to profanity and to making a solemn promise. His hopes of a career in goal quickly fell apart. John is diagnosed with Tourette syndrome.

The diagnosis changes little, because in a world that has no idea what the syndrome is, the young man is seen as disobedient and aggressive. At school, teachers punish him and classmates mock him. Things are no better at home. His family is falling apart before his very eyes. A few years later, John (now played by Robert Aramayo, who won a BAFTA for Best Actor for this role) still cannot find his place in the world. A turning point comes when he meets Dottie (Maxine Peake), the mother of an old friend, who helps him believe in himself and in the possibility of living on his own terms.

Directed by Kirk Jones, I SWEAR (2025) became a major hit in the UK. Based on the true story of John Davidson (awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II), the film combines the emotional weight of socially engaged drama with an irreverent streak of comedy, constantly keeping the audience poised between seriousness and laughter.

John’s behaviour becomes both a source of humour and a way of confronting prejudice and intolerance. In doing so, I SWEAR turns a fairly traditional biographical story into a moving argument for empathy, dignity and the right to be understood.

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Text: Rafał Glapiak