It became the film everyone was talking about following the 2026 Baftas, and now you’re able to stream in on Netflix.

I Swear took home three awards at the 79th film ceremony last month, including best casting and both the EE rising star and leading actor gongs for Robert Aramayo.

The 33-year-old plays John Davidson in the emotional biopic, which tells the story of his youth in 1980s Scotland, where severe Tourette’s syndrome was widely misunderstood.

Davidson, now 54, was diagnosed with the neurological condition at 25, having developed it at 12, and with his symptoms involving sudden and repetitive movements and vocalisations.

Having since become an activist to raise awareness of Tourette’s, John has already featured in several BBC documentaries throughout his life, including John’s Not Mad (1989), when he was just 16, which followed him around his hometown as he navigated the condition.

Then, in 2024, director Kirk Jones announced production of I Swear, and Aramayo was cast in August, with the filmmaker stating that he ‘knew he was right for the part very early on’, meaning he didn’t need to audition.

The biographical drama was released in cinemas last autumn.

Throughout, Davidson is bullied, beaten up, and at one point arrested as a result of other people not understanding his outbursts.

Alongside Aramayo, cast members include Maxine Peake, who plays Dottie Achenbach, Shirley Henderson as Heather Davidson, and Peter Mullan as Tommy Trotter.

I Swear has been widely praised by critics and audiences in recent months, and Netflix confirmed today that it will arrive on the platform on March 10.

It already boasts a glowing 100% score from reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score sits at a so-close-to-perfect 99%.

Among the feedback, Ben Allen of GQ Magazine says Aramayo depicts Davidson’s experiences ‘beautifully’, while Kevin Maher of The Times says his performance is both ‘heart-rending’ and ‘astonishing’.

‘I Swear is a hugely important and informative watch – and potentially one of this year’s best British films,’ praises Nicola Austin of Movie Maker.

‘This really is a film where you’ll be laughing one minute and feel tears building the nexts,’ adds RTE’s Harry Guerin.

Audiences further describe it as an ‘exceptional’ watch, with @FilmWatcher1 left ‘crying [their] eyes out’.

‘Its been a very long time that I wept so profusely over a movie. It is such a beautiful rendering of such a difficult life,’ pens @Naijadaydreamer.

@Allopac says I Swear taught them ‘so much’ that they didn’t know about Tourette’s, and @Raffie believes ‘it should be a mandatory watch in all schools all over the world.’

Speaking at this year’s Baftas about working on the film, Nanny McPhee director Jones said he believes I Swear has been so warmly received because it ‘hit a chord’.

‘Maybe five years ago, if we’d have made it, it wouldn’t have done, or maybe five years’ time, but I think we’re kind of at a place in the world now where everything’s so kind of depressing and upsetting, and it’s a very hopeful film, and it’s about a man who never gives up,’ he said on the red carpet.

‘It’s the kind of film that we need at the moment to remind us about compassion and support for an understanding of other people.’

Having been declared ‘phenomenal’ in his portrayal by the man himself, Aramayo further expressed his gratitude towards Davidson after taking him two major trophies, hailing him as ‘the most remarkable person [he’s] ever met’.

Davidson, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2019 for his campaigning work, also told the Press Association that ‘the power that the film’s got is the fact that it’s opened people’s eyes to the real issues.’

But its Bafta wins did not come without controversy, as, during the ceremony, Davidson could be heard shouting and swearing due to his tics. This included yelling ‘f**k you’ and using a racial slur when Sinners stars were onstage.

Baftas host Alan Cumming thanked the audience for showing ‘respect’ at the time and apologised for the expletives, reminding people that they were out of Davidson’s ‘control.’

The crowd was also made aware of Davidson’s attendance beforehand, but the nature of what they might hear was not explained.

Furthermore, his use of the N-word was still included in the BBC’s broadcast, despite the ceremony not being live, which generated widespread backlash and sparked debates online about a duty of care.

In the aftermath, the broadcaster removed the episode from iPlayer, a spokesperson saying: ‘Some viewers may have heard strong and offensive language during the Bafta Film Awards.

‘This arose from involuntary verbal tics associated with Tourette syndrome, and as explained during the ceremony, it was not intentional.

‘We apologise that this was not edited out prior to broadcast, and it will now be removed from the version on BBC iPlayer.’

In an interview with Variety, Davidson said words or statements he said during tics were ‘the last thing in the world I believe’.

‘The most offensive word that I ticked at the ceremony, for example, is a word I would never use and would completely condemn if I did not have Tourette’s,’ he said.

Speaking about living with the condition, Davidson explained it could be ‘distressing’ and that people could face ‘discrimination and isolation as a result’.

‘When socially unacceptable words come out, the guilt and shame on the part of the person with the condition is often unbearable and causes enormous distress. I can’t begin to explain how upset and distraught I have been as the impact from Sunday sinks in,’ he continued.

‘I want people to know and understand that my tics have absolutely nothing to do with what I think, feel or believe. It’s an involuntary neurological misfire. My tics are not an intention, not a choice and not a reflection of my values.’

Tourettes Action issued their own response to Metro, telling us that tics are ‘not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character.’

‘People with Tourette’s can say words or phrases they do not mean, do not endorse, and feel great distress about afterwards. These symptoms are neurological, not intentional, and they are something John – like many others with Tourette’s – lives with every single day,’ said a spokesperson.

The organisation has urged people to watch I Swear to get a grasp of the ‘isolation, misunderstanding, and emotional weight that so often accompany this condition’.

I Swear is now streaming on Netflix.

A version of this article was originally published on February 23, 2025.

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