Cursed Normal at Schauburg Filmpalast: A moving biopic for Gelsenkirchen

A moving cinematic experience about dignity, courage, and looking behind the façade

With Cursed Normal, the Municipal Cinema at Schauburg Filmpalast will show a British biopic on September 21, 2026, at 5:45 PM, that approaches an extraordinary life story with great truthfulness. The film tells the story of John Davidson, whose Tourette syndrome emerges at a time when barely anyone understands the illness. Director Kirk Jones relies on precise dramaturgy, fine British humor, and an acting skill that intricately intertwines pain and hope. ([gelsenkirchen.de](https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/_meta/veranstaltungskalender/97032-verflucht-normal))

An outsider drama with heart and conviction

John Davidson grows up in a small Scottish town in the early 1980s and experiences exclusion, misunderstanding, and medical misadventures. Critics describe how Jones stages John's tics not as mere eccentricities but as a source of alienation; this tension lends the film its emotional power. As John's environment wavers between helplessness, shame, and aggression, and later grows in understanding, a quiet but intense stage experience unfolds on screen. ([critic.de](https://www.critic.de/film/verflucht-normal-20104/))

Direction, performance, and tone

Kirk Jones, who was born in Bristol according to the press kit and specialized in comedies and dramas at Newport Film School, combines sensitive observation with a clear rhythm in Cursed Normal. The result is not a sentimentally loaded pity film, but a touching movie with restrained direction, credible character portrayal, and a finale that allows for hope without kitsch. Press reviews particularly highlight the balance of humor, drama, and enlightenment. ([tourette.de](https://www.tourette.de/tourette-im-kino/verflucht-normal-kinofilm-2026?_hash=EOwMHmcj2L6c2MQkaWPT4BtkJDrzmI4Z00W7j0JrUd4&ctx=a%3A1%3A%7Bs%3A2%3A%22id%22%3Bi%3A584%3B%7D&d=attachment&f=VERFLUCHT+NORMAL+PH_final.pdf&p=content%2Ftourette-im-kino%2Fverflucht-normal%2FVERFLUCHT+NORMAL+PH_final.pdf))

Why this film works in a cinema

At Schauburg Filmpalast, this story meets a place that represents concentrated arthouse cinema. The film is part of the KoKi series Biopics, lasts 121 minutes, and is approved for ages 12 and over. Especially on the big screen, the quiet moments, the acoustics of nervousness, and the subtly nuanced audience reactions unfold when vulnerability suddenly becomes strength. Those who engage with this drama experience cinema as a space for empathy. ([gelsenkirchen.de](https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/_meta/veranstaltungskalender/97032-verflucht-normal))

Conclusion

Cursed Normal is a moving biopic about exclusion, acceptance, and self-assertion, driven by strong acting and clever direction. An intense cinema evening awaits at Schauburg Filmpalast in Gelsenkirchen that lingers long after. If you are looking for an emotional, honest, and simultaneously hopeful cinematic experience, you should witness this event live. ([gelsenkirchen.de](https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/_meta/veranstaltungskalender/97032-verflucht-normal))

Official channels of Schauburg Filmpalast:

• Instagram: no official profile found
• Facebook: no official profile found
• YouTube: no official profile found
• Website: https://www.gelsenkirchen.de/de/kultur/film__foto__medien/kommunales_kino/index.aspx

Sources:

• City of Gelsenkirchen - Cursed Normal
• critic.de - Cursed Normal Review
• Tourette.de - Press Kit Cursed Normal
• City of Gelsenkirchen - Municipal Cinema