There’s an episodic feeling to Omar Salas Zamora’s gay romance, no doubt because it was originally released in the US as a mini webseries. This structure might have worked well, as Zamora charts the ups and downs of a relationship that begins as a casual hookup, and gradually deepens into something more tortured. The premise, however, is quickly spoiled by a whole lot of cringy dialogue and not-great acting.

The score alone is an off-putting signal: that kind of deeply unexceptional music that starts out with a generic keyboard chord then swells with some equally dull synths; the stuff that one hears in a lot in indie flicks. The tune appears early on during a quick montage in which Aaron (Jason Alan Clark), the main character, is getting ready to meet Jordan (Calvin Picou). The fact that the latter is a musician makes the subpar score even more distracting. As the two get it on, it becomes clear Jordan has never been with a gay man before. The nervousness of this encounter is the lone moment in the film that actually feels real. As the duo laugh off the awkwardness, they become more emotionally intimate.

Unfortunately, Aaron and Jordan have zero chemistry in the rest of the film, despite a committed performance from Clark. The rest of the cast are painfully stiff, while Zamora’s script depends too much on surprise revelations – such as Aaron being HIV positive, or Jordan’s heterosexual past – that are poorly interwoven into the character dynamic. You can also only hold Zamora responsible for the dislikable quirks, such as how Aaron enjoys imagining how he would murder a potential date. Yikes.

• Here Comes Your Man is released on 26 July on digital platforms.