A film about living loudly—sometimes involuntarily—didn’t ask to become the center of an awards-night firestorm. But “I Swear,” Kirk Jones’s biographical drama about Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson, arrived in the U.S. with that baggage already attached.
READ MORE: BAFTA And John Davidson Formally Apologize For Racial Slur Outburst During Ceremony
Sony Pictures Classics released a new trailer ahead of the film’s nationwide rollout on April 24, 2026, positioning the UK hit and festival breakout as a clear, audience-forward drama built around a big, committed lead performance.
The timing is complicated for reasons that have very little to do with the movie itself and everything to do with what happened on the BAFTAs broadcast. During the February 22, 2026, ceremony, Davidson—who has Tourette’s—shouted a racial slur from the audience while Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage. The BBC aired the moment and later apologized, pulling and re-uploading an edited version after backlash, while BAFTA said it would review what happened.
“I Swear” traced Davidson’s diagnosis at 15 and his push to build a life in 1980s Britain as the condition remained misunderstood, with Peter Mullan, Maxine Peake, and Shirley Henderson among the key supporting players. The film world-premiered at TIFF in 2025 before breaking out in the UK.
The awards run has been a major part of the story: Robert Aramayo won the BAFTA for leading actor for his performance as Davidson, and the film landed additional major recognition across the season, including BIFA wins tied to Aramayo’s lead turn and casting.
