It's always great when a movie sneaks up on you, and one of this year's early surprises for me is undoubtedly I Swear. A few months back I Swear picked up a shocking BAFTA win for best lead actor, beating out four Oscar nominees as well as Jesse Plemons who likely just missed out. Despite that big win though, I Swear still wasn't fully on my radar, but it should be on everyone's, as this is one of 2026's very best so far.
The film follows the life of John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), a Scottish man with severe Tourette's syndrome who has become an advocate for awareness surrounding the condition. First diagnosed in his teens, I Swear begins as John's tics first develop, showing the deep impact his condition had on his future through his struggles in school and sports. We then jump forward to his mid-late 20s, where he is taken in by a friend's mother who helps him work towards living a normal life despite his condition.
When I saw that Aramayo won the BAFTA over five incredible performances, I couldn't help but think his win was rooted largely in British bias. Upon seeing the film though, this is a performance that absolutely deserves every ounce of praise it has received. Tourette's is such an easy condition to make a mockery of with a performance, it's a condition I still feel like we don't know enough about and due to the at times vulgar tics people have it can often be used for comedy. Admittedly this is a very funny movie, but Aramayo's performance as well as writer/director Kirk Jones' handling of the subject matter make it an experience where you're laughing with John rather than at him. The anxieties and emotional weight that come with the condition are highlighted throughout, so in the film's darker moments John can be saying something that would typically be funny to hear, but instead you're hit with a knot in your stomach knowing how a tic might put him in harm's way. I wasn't prepared for how much of a gut punch some moments are, as it's truly heartbreaking to see John navigate a world that hasn't learned enough about Tourette's.
Aramayo's portrayal of the condition never feels inauthentic, and I think the real John Davidson's involvement in the film plays a big role in ensuring nothing feels like parody. This is a performance filled with humour and deep emotion, making you wish the world for this young man. It certainly helps that John seems like an absolute gem of a human, but the humanity Aramayo brings to the role really cements it as something special. While he is the natural center of the film, the cast surrounding him is also pretty special. Maxine Peake brings a ton of love and compassion as Dottie, the woman who John starts living with, while Peter Mullan is equally endearing as the man John starts to work for. Harry Potter alum Shirley Henderson also gives a heartbreaking performance as John's mum, a woman struggling to come to terms with her son's condition but also hurting when he decides to leave home.
I was worried the film's runtime would work against it, but the pacing here is quite sharp. It doesn't feel any shorter than its two hour runtime, but every moment feels crucially in properly telling John's story. The way Jones makes you connect with the characters also plays a big role, as I honestly didn't want the film to end thanks to how lovely it was spending time with these people. I could see the argument of the film being overly sentimental, but sometimes I think a film that feels like a warm hug is what we need. The filmmaking doesn't blow you away, but it doesn't need to, as the story and performances do the heavy lifting. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I really loved it, just a beautiful movie that raises awareness while also telling a heartwarming true story. 4.5/5
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