We all have a better understanding of how Tourette syndrome works these days, thanks in no small part to the unfortunate incident that occurred with disability activist John Davidson at this year’s BAFTA Awards. But perhaps a bit lost in the controversy is the fact that Davidson was present due to I Swear, a film based on his life, picking up an absolute slew of nominations, and now it’s finally hitting our screens.
How to watch I Swear in Australia
I Swear is screening exclusively in Australian cinemas from March 26, 2026, with preview screenings leading up to the wide release.
What is I Swear about?
Directed, written, and produced by Kirk Jones, thi film is based on the true life story of John Davidson, a working-class Scottish man with severe Tourette syndrome, who was previously the subject of the 1989 TV documentary John’s Not Mad. We follow Davidson from his childhood in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, when his tics and other symptoms first arise, to his diagnosis in his early 20s, and his struggles to both understand his condition and to find acceptance in the community.
The cast of I Swear
Robert Aramayo is John Davidson, with Scott Ellis Watson as a young John; Maxine Peake is Dottie Achenbach; Shirley Henderson is Heather Davidson; Peter Mullan is Tommy Trotter; David Carlyle is Chris Achenbach Steven Cree is David Davidson; Francesco Piacentini-Smith is Murray Achenbach, with Jamie McAllistar as young Murray; Ethan Stewart is William Davidson; Paul Donnelly is Billy Dean; Douglas Rankine is Doctor Colin Hargreaves; and Adam McNamara is PC MacCullen.
I Swear trailer
Why we’re excited about I Swear
Universally acclaimed by the critical community and a sleeper hit on release, I Swear is a warm, funny, sometimes tragic, and absolutely uplifting account of a life of struggle, anchored by a superb central performance from Robert Aramayo.
