I Swear | TIFF 50

Whenever I am feeling particularly down in living in a body that is constantly in pain and failing me, I occasionally question, “why me?” Of course, no one deserves to live with a chronic condition that makes my life difficult in ways most people can’t fathom. So asking this question can be loaded with guilt and shame about internalized ableism and– more often than not– is pondered in isolation. I Swear is the first film I’ve encountered that is brave enough to ask “why me?” without slipping into a woe-is-me rhetoric. Instead of attempting to answer this question with the toxic positivity, infantilization, and saccharinity of films past about disabled characters like Forrest Gump and Simon Birch are wont to do, I Swear leans into not having an answer for “why me?” and instead provides a heartfelt and vulnerable portrayal of what it is like to live with a disability with empathy, honesty, and levity. That is to say, I Swear is so f-cking refreshing. 

The film stars Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones; Behind Her Eyes) as John David, a Scottish man who was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at the age of 13 when the condition was widely under-studied and misunderstood. The film spans his life from diagnosis to adulthood, following his struggles with bullying, violent run-ins with the police, and his journey toward self-advocacy and learning to accept the love of others. 

I Swear spends most of its runtime showing the audience what it was like for David to experience social and familial shame, harassment, and the violence he dealt with during his adolescence and young adult years. In its third act, the film focuses on the brilliant advocacy work John David has done in his more recent years, as he has worked with youth with Tourette Syndrome and their families, and led educational seminars throughout the U.K’s school and police institutions to reduce harm against people with Tourette Syndrome. The film also introduces audiences to the new Neupulse Wrist Device (expected to launch in 2026), which uses median nerve stimulation to help manage tics. 

Although the film may reopen dialogues about able-bodied performers playing disabled characters, I Swear brings an immense amount of care to John David’s story. Audiences most familiar with writer-director Kirk Jones’ lighter work such as Nanny McPhee and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, may be surprised by the more-than-plentiful cussing in I Swear (a crowd favourite being, “spunk for milk!” that John often says while he makes tea). But at its core, the film is a heartfelt and sincere portrait of John David’s life- one that educates audiences about Tourette Syndrome while managing to cuss out the queen before the end of its opening scene.