It’s a busy new release weekend at the cinema with psychological thriller After the Hunt, horror sequel Black Phone 2 and comedy Good Fortune among those vying for your attention. But we’re here to say that you shouldn’t be forgetting about a movie that’s already out in cinemas and deserves your attention.
I Swear is the funny and moving biopic of John Davidson, following his journey from a misunderstood teenager in 1980s Britain to present-day advocate for the understanding and acceptance of Tourette’s Syndrome. He was recognised with an MBE in 2019 for his efforts to increase understanding of the condition and helping families deal with it.
We don’t blame you if you’ve never heard of John Davidson, and therefore may have decided to overlook I Swear, despite its strong rating. Until recently, it held a much-deserved 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and still stands at a near-perfect 96% rating. If you need further convincing to see it, you can watch an exclusive clip from I Swear above.
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The clip sees John (played by Robert Aramayo in a star-making turn) settle down for a game of Blackjack with his friend Murray’s family. Unfortunately for John, his Tourette’s leads him to immediately say, “I’ve got two aces”, but Murray’s mum Dottie (Maxine Peake) gets everybody to agree that they just didn’t hear that.
It’s an ideal representation of I Swear’s excellent tonal balance, unafraid to showcase the unintentional humour of living with Tourette’s Syndrome, but also not forgetting the emotional pain it can cause. You’ll end up with a better understanding of the condition, while also being completely entertained and charmed by the movie too.
StudioCanal
Related: I Swear is a funny, moving and important watch that you shouldn’t miss
Written and directed by Kirk Jones, the movie also stars Peter Mullan as community centre boss Tommy Trotter, Shirley Henderson as John’s mother Heather, Scott Ellis Watson as the younger version of John and Francesco Piacentini-Smith as Murray.
I Swear is already off to a great start at the UK box office, following its release on 10 October. It grossed £1.19 million to rank third over its first weekend, while also scoring a record-breaking 87% ‘Excellent’ rating on Comscore’s PostTrak exit polls (effectively the UK’s equivalent of the US’s CinemaScore).
That rating is the highest on record, above the likes of Top Gun: Maverick, Oscar winner Parasite and Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie also scored a total positive rating of 99% which is the proportion of the audience giving it either ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’. Customers are polled as they leave the cinema in selected sites across the UK.
Graeme Hunter/Courtesy of TIFF
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“We are so proud of the results for I Swear. Critics have already shown their love for the film and now the record-breaking exit polls show audiences have embraced John Davidson’s story,” said Katheryn Needham, CEO, StudioCanal UK.
So make sure you don’t miss out on finding out what everybody is raving about by going to see I Swear at the cinema this weekend.
I Swear is out now in UK and Irish cinemas.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.