Gareth Cattermole/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA; Graeme Hunter/Sony Pictures Classics; Men's Health Illustration by Jason Speakman

8 min read

THE BRITISH BIOPIC I Swear begins by dramatizing a famous story from the life of its subject, Scottish Tourette syndrome advocate John Davidson. In 2019, he was entering a ceremony during which he would be honored by Queen Elizabeth II when he experienced a tic and shouted, “Fuck the Queen!” The film ends with real-life footage from later that day, played over the credits, in which the Queen places a medal around Davidson’s neck and the two enjoy some happy chitchat.

These bookends provide a snapshot of Davidson’s story: his accomplishments creating awareness of Tourette’s, the awkward reality of living with the condition, and the freedom of being in a room with people who understand it.…