REVIEW of "I Swear" (2025)

 

REVIEW of "I Swear" (2025)

Studiocanal
Cast: Robert Aramayo, Scott Ellis Watson, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan
Music: Stephen Rennicks
Cinematography: James Blann
Producers: Georgia Bayliff, Kirk Jones, Piers Tempest
Running Time: 121 minutes
Screenplay: Kirk Jones
Director: Kirk Jones

What is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette syndrome is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive, and rapid motor and vocal tics that appear before the age of 18. It affects the nervous system, and its symptoms can vary in intensity—from mild to severe—and may include physical movements and sounds. It is often accompanied by other conditions such as ADHD or OCD.

Main Characteristics and Symptoms

Motor Tics:
Rapid and involuntary movements such as blinking, head jerking, shoulder shrugging, or facial grimacing.

Vocal Tics:
Involuntary sounds such as throat clearing, grunting, coughing, barking, or repeating words (echolalia).

Duration:
For a diagnosis, the tics must be present for more than one year.

Intensity:
Tics may change in type and frequency, often worsening due to stress, anxiety, or illness.

Coprolalia:
The involuntary utterance of obscene words is uncommon and affects fewer than 10% of people with Tourette syndrome.

Causes and Diagnosis

Cause:
The exact cause is unknown, but it likely involves a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Onset:
It usually begins in childhood or adolescence and is more common in males than in females.

Diagnosis:
Diagnosis is based on the observation of symptoms and a patient’s medical history by a specialist, as there are no specific laboratory tests for it.

The story presented here follows John Davidson, a man who grew up in 1980s Scotland during a time when Tourette syndrome was widely misunderstood and barely recognized. As a result, he experienced everything from difficulties in forming relationships to acts of violence against him.

At the beginning, we see John (BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo) about to receive a decoration from Queen Elizabeth II. However, just before the ceremony, he involuntarily blurts out an offensive tic (not intentionally). The story then takes us back to the 1980s, when teenage John first began experiencing the symptoms.

The young man finds himself adrift, lacking full support or understanding from his mother, while his father abandons the family in the face of the situation—leaving John burdened with guilt.

Kirk Jones does not stray from the traditional biopic formula. What makes the film compelling is the way it shows John’s evolution as a person living with this syndrome. We see a young boy who does not understand what is happening to him grow into an adult trying to lead a normal life—something that may be impossible. Yet both stages share one painful reality: you cannot escape society’s lack of tolerance.

Robert Aramayo delivers an outstanding performance. With the respect that the community deserves, he portrays John as someone audiences can empathize with and genuinely worry about. It is clear that Aramayo put careful work into both the physical and emotional aspects of the role—particularly in the hospital scene after John is brutally beaten. In this case, using the word vulnerability in a review truly has meaning rather than serving as filler. It is a performance that fully deserves the BAFTA he received.

Aramayo is also supported by excellent co-stars in Peter Mullan, Maxine Peake, and Shirley Henderson. Mullan and Peake play Tommy and Dottie, who serve as parental figures for John, while Henderson portrays a mother more concerned about how the syndrome affects her than about how it impacts her son.

This is solid British cinema that recalls smaller films from the 1990s and early 2000s that eventually became major successes. I Swear (2025) is moving and even manages to provoke a few laughs—which is perfectly valid. It is not a preachy film, but it shines a light on a community that is rarely visible in cinema.

That said, after the incident that occurred during the BAFTA ceremony, the debate and controversy remain open: nothing justifies racism from either side.

RATING FOR “I SWEAR” (2025): MAJESTIC

Oscar Prospects

The film will be released in the United States in April by Sony Pictures Classics. Their task is simple: launch a strong For Your Consideration campaign for Aramayo so that he can secure an Academy Award nomination.