I Swear follows John Davidson (Robert Aramayo), a young Scottish man growing up with a condition that causes uncontrollable tics and outbursts, making him widely misunderstood by those around him. As a teenager, John struggles at school, at home, and in his community, where authority figures and even his own family misinterpret his behaviour, leaving him isolated and increasingly discouraged.

 

As he grows older, John continues to face barriers in everyday life, but begins to encounter people who see beyond his condition, including Dottie Achenbach (Maxine Peake) and Murray (friend from his past), who help him find a sense of dignity and belonging. Over time, his journey becomes one of resilience and self-acceptance, as he pushes back against stigma and learns to navigate a world that hasn’t always made space for him.

I Swear burst into the public consciousness, well at least mine, with Robert Aramayo beating out Hollywood heavy weights Leonardo Di Caprio, Michael B. Jordan, and Timothee’ Chalamet to win the BAFTA for best actor. An incredible feat - but an extraordinary performance that will be mentioned, in years to come, in the same breath as Daniel Day Lewis’ portrayal of Christy Brown in My Left Foot and Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond Babbit in Rain Man. 

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I Swear has a much more traditional biopic structure in that it follows John Davidson’s life from a teenager to middle age. What is particularly striking about that approach with this story, merely being observational, without ratcheting up the emotion, packs a much bigger punch. 

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You will laugh and cry in equal measure at the genuine kindness displayed by strangers towards Davidson and despair at the treatment he has to endure at the hands of those close to him and those he has just met. What is incredibly striking about I Swear is that the people that cause Davidson the most harm aren’t some viilainous character but are particularly ordinary - just like you an I. 

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Robert Aramayo and his performance is the centre around which this film revolves. He completely encapsulates Davidson with breathtaking, believable realism. It’s one of the best performances I’ve seen in a very long time.   

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Heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure with an awards worthy performance from Robert Aramayo, I Swear is one of the best films of the year.