Robert Aramayo in “I Swear.”
Sony Pictures Classics
I Swear, a biopic about Tourette’s syndrome activist John Davidson starring Robert Aramayo, is new in theaters this weekend and is earning rave reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics.
Davidson was embroiled in controversy earlier this year when he shouted obscenities — known as involuntary verbal tics — during the 2026 BAFTA Awards. Among them was the N-word when Sinners’ stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on-stage during the ceremony, which the BBC did not edit out of the live broadcast.
Davidson apologized amid the backlash, saying in a statement (via Variety), “I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.”
After a release in the U.K. in October 2025, I Swear opens in domestic release on Friday. Aramayo (Rings of Power) stars as Davidson, a Scottish man who, in his youth, developed Tourette’s syndrome, which complicated his life and everyone’s life surrounding him. With the help of his friend’s mother, Dottie Achenbach (Maxine Peak), John begins to find acceptance and understanding of his condition, which empowers him to help others living with Tourette’s syndrome.
Written and directed by Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine), I Swear also stars Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan and Scott Ellis Watson.
As of Friday, I Swear has earned a 98% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer based on 97 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus reads, “A deft balance of prickly and sweet that’s bound together by Robert Aramayo’s knockout performance, I Swear doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges of Tourette syndrome while delivering an uplifting tale of resilience.”
RT’s Audience Summary and Popcornmeter score are still pending.
What Are Individual Critics Saying About ‘I Swear’?
William Bibbiani of The Wrap is among the top critics on RT who gives I Swear a “fresh” score. Bibbiani writes in his RT review summary, “’I Swear is the real deal, that rare biopic that doesn’t just tell a real human being’s story — or worse, give you the superficial, reassuring gist — but invites you into it.”
Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal also lauds I Swear on RT with “fresh” score, writing, “Mr. Aramayo is astonishing, giving an intensely committed performance of every twitch, shout and click.”
Aparita Bhandari of The Globe and Mail also praises I Swear with a “fresh” score on RT, writing, “It’s not entirely fair to call I Swear a PSA for inclusion. Above all, it is the story of a man who overcame an extraordinary set of odds to build a simple but meaningful life for himself and foster understanding in others.”
Jocelyn Noveck of The Associated Press also deems I Swear “fresh” on RT, writing, I Swear — at a perhaps overlong run time of two hours — is full of warmth and even humor, with Davidson occasionally laughing at himself and inviting us to join in.”
Richard Brody of The New Yorker is among RT’s top critics who give I Swear a “rotten” score. Brody writes in his RT review summary that I Swear “isn’t just an account of Davidson’s life. It’s a direct extension of his activism, and its effectiveness as an educational tool is what renders it frictionless and predictable as a drama.”
Manohla Dargis of The New York Times is more succinct in her assessment of I Swear. In her “rotten” review summary of the film, Dargis writes that I Swear is “an aggressively bland, cliché-ridden biopic.”
Rated R, I Swear opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2026/04/24/i-swear-rotten-tomatoes-reviews-tourettes-activists-biopic-resonates-with-critics/
