Scotty is a virgin. A paraplegic since birth, he blames his disability for his lack of success with the ladies. But, as his brutally candid friends point out, the main reason that Scotty fails to score is his horrible personality. A remake of the Belgian comedy drama Hasta La Vista, Come As You Are is a briskly unsentimental road trip, which follows Scotty (Grant Rosenmeyer), fellow wheelchair-user Matt (Hayden Szeto) and Mo (Ravi Patel), who is sight impaired, as they embark on a covert adventure to Canada and the Chateau Paradis, a brothel that caters specifically for differently abled clientele. Driving their minibus is Sam (Gabourey Sidibe), a no-nonsense former nurse, who earns their respect early on by threatening Scotty with physical violence after he persists in calling her “sweetheart”.

The film loses points for its decision to cast able actors in the central roles, but explores its theme of sexuality and disability with admirable candour. An opening scene, which sees Scotty waking with the aftermath of an erotic dream prominently on display to his mother, gives a hint of his daily humiliations and explains the rough edges in his temperament. The screenplay, by Erik Linthorst, is particularly acute when it comes to tone-deaf empathy. “My cousin’s brother-in-law is Down syndrome,” says a traffic cop. “I get it.”

Come As You Are is on Curzon Home Cinema, then multiple platforms