“1983. A simple Scottish boy with a simple Scottish name John plays football as a goalkeeper and dreams of a sports career. In parallel, he, as befits a simple Scottish boy, goes to school and meets girls. And one day, on a date in a movie theater, something unplanned happens. John shouts a curse word, not really understanding how
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“1983. A simple Scottish boy with a simple Scottish name John plays football as a goalkeeper and dreams of a sports career. In parallel, he, as befits a simple Scottish boy, goes to school and meets girls. And one day, on a date in a movie theater, something unplanned happens. John shouts a curse word, not really understanding how it happened. Soon, involuntary sounds and movements are added to uncontrolled swearing, including outbursts of aggression. The world of a simple Scottish boy is rapidly collapsing. He's turning into a pariah. For Tourette's syndrome, for which the symptoms described are characteristic, had not yet been studied in the 1980s, and John had to use his own example to raise awareness of the serious illness.
This story of a man named John Davidson is absolutely real. In the late 1980s, the BBC dedicated a documentary to him, followed by two sequels, 2002 and 2009. They talked about how John’s life changed as he grew up, and society learned not to stigmatize people with Tourette’s syndrome, but to examine, treat, and help adapt to an unfriendly reality. And in 2025, Davidson became the hero of a feature film, which in six categories swung at BAFTA. And in two of them, the contender was the lead actor Robert Aramayo (Elrond from the series “Rings of Power”). In one nomination, Robert lit up as a rising star. In the other, as a leading actor, that is, a star held. If in the first case he competes with Chase Infiniti and Archie Madekwe, in the second - with Hawke, Chalamet and DiCaprio.
And with all due respect to these artists, 33-year-old Aramayo gave without exaggeration the performance of the year, in neighboring scenes, making us cry from laughter, then from the realization of injustice prevailing in our beautiful and sad world. The family and school are turning their backs on John – his parents hear him speak foul language and make incomprehensible sounds, but ignore his confused excuses. And what here, in fact, explain when the guy himself considers himself somehow spoiled. In the medieval setting, the hero would surely incur accusations of witchcraft, but in a relatively recent environment, the film periodically transforms almost into a horror. John is lonely and unprotected, which is why he is forced to think about suicide and sit on pills, and a banal walk down the street can turn into self-harm at the snap of his fingers (whether there are few hot-tempered citizens the poor man will inadvertently insult).
The film, in turn, could turn into a tear-jerking melodrama, and given the track record of director Kirk Jones (“What to expect when you’re expecting a child”, “My Big Greek Wedding 2”), this was to be expected. It was better to see the opposite. Of course, in the final part, “I swear” acquires an easy lecturing, but here it pulls not to be outraged, but to listen and wind up. Tourette syndrome is still terra incognita for many, so that certain fragments are perceived as a short familiarization course on how to treat the disease and how to support those who suffer from it. On the screen, educational and comradely functions are shared by Dottie (Maxine Peak), a psychologist and mother of John's friend, and Tommy - an elderly man who offered a job in a community center. The latter is played by a wonderful actor and director Peter Mullan, whose good-natured calm in contrast to the exhilaration of Aramayo turns Tommy into one of the most charming secondary planners of the past year.
But even in those moments when John’s life seems to be getting on relatively well-run tracks, “I swear” manages to knock out of his comfort zone. It’s like a reminder of how the young man with Tourette and his surroundings feel, existing in a mode of eternal tension. A rare film is able to maneuver so confidently between genres: from hooligan comedy, throwing Matyuki in the face of a decent society, to a thriller and tragedy, whose bell beats at the moment when John has to answer for what is said and done (in the corner and courtroom). And even in dark times, “I swear” retains irony and audacity, mocking the character and bindings in which he falls. That’s how an exemplary drama should look: heartbreaking enough for everyone to feel the seriousness of the topic, but optimistic so that their hands don’t drop.
The meme is funny, the situation is terrible, something like this could be described as “I swear” in the language of Internet proverbs. But scary doesn't mean irreparable. And here the importance of the film as a social project is included, which eloquently highlights the problem and offers several ways to solve it. It is on such an inspiring note that the movie ends. This is not a happy ending, but John is happy with any outlet, any chance to establish a human dialogue with someone (especially a pretty girl), without breaking off every second on nervous tics and without fear of being called an aggressive madman in the eyes of others. Starting under New Order, "I swear" is removed into the dark under Stop Crying Your Heart Out, and you don't have to be a rabid Oasis fan to wipe the stingy male under the rattling lines. Even if the stars seem to have disappeared, one day you will see them again. Let and accompany their contemplation with a strong vocabulary. (c)🤝
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