That an uncontrollable "problem child" would one day be awarded the Order of the British Empire was something no one could have predicted, least of all John Davidson himself. In the early 1980s, John (Scott Ellis Watson) grows up in a small Scottish town when, at the age of 12, he begins to suffer from severe nervous tics. With the onset of what is only years later diagnosed as Tourette syndrome, his life becomes an endless ordeal. Neither at school nor at home are his tics and spontaneously uttered curses seen as symptoms; instead, he is reprimanded, teased, and even punished. Almost 15 years later, in his mid-twenties, John (Robert Aramayo) still lives with his mother (Shirley Henderson). He takes such strong medication that the side effects almost completely rob him of his will to live. A chance encounter with his school friend Murray and Murray's mother, Dottie (Maxine Peak), finally brings a change. Dottie is a nurse and accepts John as he is. She takes him into her family and even finds him a job as assistant to the community center's caretaker, Tommy (Peter Mullan). A ludicrous job interview, in which Tommy reacts to John's tics and curses like no other, lays the foundation for a deep friendship between the two. And slowly, John finds the courage and confidence to lead an independent life and realizes how valuable his experiences are to others.
A perfect blend of social realism and heartwarming underdog comedy, CURSED NORMAL unites two great British cinematic traditions. Based on the life of the real John Davidson, "LONG LIVE NED DEVINE!" director Kirk Jones tells the story, with plenty of humor and warmth, in his emotional biopic, of how John, despite exclusion and a lack of understanding due to his Tourette's syndrome, finds his way and becomes an inspiration to others. In his home country of Great Britain, the film not only became an absolute audience favorite and box office hit, but lead actor Robert Aramayo also sensationally won the BAFTA for "Best Lead Actor" against, among others, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothée Chalamet.