by Anthony O’Connor
Worth: Discs: 1, The Film: 4.5/5, The Extras: 3.5/5, Overall: 8/10
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Robert Aramayo, Scott Ellis Watson, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan, David Carlyle, Steven Cree
Intro:
… moving but never twee, boasting a genuinely stunning lead performance and a sharp, incisive script.
The Film:
Kids are dead-eyed sociopaths. This is true for many reasons, but the most germane one for today is the fact that, 100% of the time, when kids find out about Tourette syndrome, they think it is literally the funniest thing on the planet. A condition that causes you to blurt out the most insanely offensive things possible? Comedy gold to a young tyke. As one gets older however, and begins to develop empathy and shame, it becomes clear that said condition would, in fact, be a living nightmare. The lack of control, the inability to stop your tics and the inevitable social ostracisation all combine for a uniquely cruel and alienating condition. Ask ol’ mate John Davidson, the real-life inspiration for I Swear. Davidson, now 55, has been living with Tourette’s since he was 12 years old and if his biopic is any indication, it can be hell.
It can also, however, be warm and human and genuinely funny. It all depends on the people you have around you.
I Swear tells the true story of John Davidson (Ellis Watson/Robert Aramayo), a young tacker living with his working class family in Galashiels, Scotland. Johnno is just a normal, everyday kid. He loves playing soccer and is an accomplished goalie, he loves the ladies and has no compunction about asking them out on dates and he’s just a generally normal, charming young man. Until the tics begin. They start small, twitching and jerking, but soon develop into spitting, punching and yelling out the most scandalous and antisocial statements imaginable. And Scotland in the mid 1980s? Not exactly a world leader in terms of mental health awareness.
We follow John on his journey from friendless, jobless, social outcast to a man who, thankfully, forges a bond with an old school friend’s mother, Dottie (Maxine Peake) who gives him a home away from his cold, judgemental mother, Heather (Shirley Henderson). In this new environment, John begins to thrive, gaining confidence, finding work with the lovely Tommy (Peter Mullan) and eventually – if you can believe it – getting a knighthood! An event at which he involuntarily yells “Fuck the queen!” Which is both mortifying and awesome in equal measure.
At its core, I Swear is a shamelessly crowd-pleasing biopic that wears its heart on its sleeve. It is not, however, mawkish and sentimental. Thanks to deft writing and direction from Kirk Jones, this is a story told with warts and all veracity, a flick that never shies away from the darker moments of Davidson’s life. And don’t get us wrong, things do get very dark indeed. Poor John faces mockery, lack of understanding and often vicious violence and brushes with the law. It’s a ghastly business quite often, leavened considerably by Jones’ witty, sharp script that brings genuine belly laughs when they’re much needed.
However, the entire film would be a write off if not for the central performance and in that both Ellis Watson and Robert Aramayo do extraordinary work. Aramayo particularly, as the adult Davidson, embodies the role to a tee, showcasing a wounded, desperate man who just wants to find his place in the world, always trying to keep his head up and not fall into the trap of self loathing, something that doesn’t always work. It is, quite honestly, a career-making turn and if you’ve ever seen Aramayo as a slightly officious elf in Rings of Power, it’s quite a startling transformation. Props are also due for the supporting cast, with Maxine Peake doing wonderful work as Dottie and Shirley Henderson stupendously effective as the casually cruel Heather. There has been controversy about the portrayal of John’s mum, mind you, as some have cast doubt on how cold she acts towards the young fella, citing in particular, earlier documentaries where she appears to be much more supportive than her silver screen counterpart. Regardless, Henderson delivers a truly excellent performance as does Peter Mullan. In fact, there’s not a single cast member on screen who doesn’t at least attain a level of “very good”, which immerses the viewer in this grimy at times but ultimately hopeful story.
Tales of human triumph and endurance against the odds seem to have fallen out of favour lately and it’s a pity because when done right, like I Swear, they can be cathartic, buoyant and genuinely inspiring reminders of what can be accomplished with determination and support. It’s a pity that this film was rather marred with the unfortunate online fallout from Davidson’s real life appearance at the 2026 BAFTA Awards and a timely, albeit unfortunate, reminder that more people should probably shut their mouths, sit the hell down and watch I Swear.
They might just learn something.
The Extras:
Things are thin on the ground here in terms of extras. There’s the Making Of I Swear doco and… that’s it.
Now, don’t get us wrong, this is a fun little doco (even if the time code has been left on the footage for some reason) and it really gives the impression of a film where everyone felt friendly and motivated to deliver their best work. Kirk Jones seems like a mensch, and he let the cast improvise some of the film’s most effective moments, which is lovely.
However, a complete lack of audio commentaries, dedicated cast and crew interviews and interviews with Davidson himself outside of the doco feels like a missed opportunity. Now, this is a pretty cheap Blu-ray, so we’re not going to judge too harshly, but it’s worth noting how bare bones the whole effort actually is.
The Verdict:
I Swear is brutal, compelling, heartfelt and quite often hilarious. The true story of a real life disability activist, it’s moving but never twee, boasting a genuinely stunning lead performance and a sharp, incisive script.
The lack of many extras may make some physical media collectors spit rude words under their breath, but when the film’s as good as I Swear, it’s hard to whinge too much.
