John, Dottie & Heather in high street - I Swear Studiocanal still

Robert Aramayo stars in I Swear alongside Shirley Henderson and Maxine Peake – and it’s set to land on Netflix very soon

e’s been the talk of the town since Sunday’s BAFTA Film Awards, and now viewers are counting down the days until Leading Actor winner Robert Aramayo’s movie I Swear drops on Netflix.

The movie is based on the real life of John Davidson, a Tourette syndrome campaigner hailing from Scotland who has worked to raise awareness of his condition.

Robert Aramayo won the Leading Actor and EE Rising Star Award © Mike Marsland/WireImage
Robert Aramayo won the Leading Actor Award for ‘I Swear’ and the EE Rising Star Award at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards

I Swear has also become a huge topic of discussion after John, 54, appeared alongside Robert, 33, at the BAFTAs on Sunday to promote the film. During the ceremony, John could be heard shouting a racial slur as Sinners actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting the first award.

In a statement, John, who left the ceremony early, said he was “deeply mortified” by his involuntary verbal tics. “I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing,” he said.

According to the NHS, Tourette syndrome “causes you to make sudden, repetitive sounds or movements (tics). There is no cure, but treatment can help manage the tics.” If you’re looking to learn more about the condition in I Swear, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the film and its upcoming release on Tuesday 10 March…

What is I Swear about?

The film centres around John and has been described as a “moving, uplifting” account of his life living with the condition in Scotland in the 1980s – a time when knowledge and awareness of Tourette’s was often misunderstood.

The official synopsis reads: “Featuring outstanding performances from Robert Aramayo, Peter Mullan, Shirley Henderson and Maxine Peake, I Swear is a frank, funny and touching story about the transformative power of friendship and community.”

John Davidson in supermarket - still from I Swear Studiocanal film© Graeme Hunter Pictures
I Swear explores how John Davidson was diagnosed with Tourette’s as a teenager after years of confusion and mental turmoil

Why I Swear is worth watching

The release of I Swear couldn’t be more timely, arriving just as public awareness of the condition has reached a critical turning point.

Plus, not only did Robert’s leading performance as John win him a BAFTA for leading actor – as well as the EE Rising Star – but the film also has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 99% audience rating.

“In less capable hands, Davidson would feel like a caricature, but Aramayo manages to make his Tourette’s tics clearly involuntary, playing both the funny and the sad bits beautifully,” wrote GQ, while The Guardian added: “I Swear contains a great performance from Robert Aramayo, full of intelligence and charm, and it raises relevant questions about the overdiagnosis debate surrounding conditions such as ADHD and autism, as well as the larger tonal point of how, when and whether to laugh at John or with him.”

Still from I Swear Studiocanal film showing teen John Davidson with pal walking through field© Graeme Hunter Pictures
Robert plays John Davidson

The true story behind I Swear

John was diagnosed with Tourette’s at the age of 15 and received an MBE in 2019 for his “efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it across the country”.

Speaking about people’s reactions to his condition when making the film, John said: “My expectations when it comes to people’s reactions are usually pretty accurate. If they’re a stranger, I’m used to their shock and anger; sometimes I get that look of complete revulsion. I think I’ve had to develop a sixth sense over the years to survive, and I’m proud of that – the way I can read people and be 99 per cent spot on.”

Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson was heard shouting several times during the ceremony © PA Images via Getty Images
John released a statement after he left the BAFTAs ceremony early

Who stars in I Swear?

Robert Aramayo (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) leads the movie as John, while Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything) plays Dottie Achenbach.

The film features a stellar British cast, including Shirley Henderson, left, and Maxine Peake, right© Graeme Hunter Pictures
The film features a stellar British cast, including Shirley Henderson, left, and Maxine Peake, right

Shirley Henderson (Harry Potter) plays Heather Davidson, while Peter Mullan (Ozark) plays Tommy Trotter and newcomer Scott Ellis Watson plays a young John.

I Swear lands on Netflix on Tuesday 10 March.