The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ narratives or non-cisnormative identities. Character connections are framed through survival and shared transgression rather than specific queer identities.

While the cast is predominantly male, the film subverts patriarchal hierarchies by depicting military authority as corrupt and unstable. Female characters appear in high-stakes, survivalist roles.

The narrative acknowledges Native American populations and diverse social outcasts. It critiques the systemic violence of Westward expansion rather than presenting a homogeneous white frontier.

The film excels by critiquing traditional Western institutions and the concept of civilization. It uses moral relativism to complicate the binary of good versus evil.

Physical trauma and bodily vulnerability serve primarily as catalysts for horror and supernatural transformation. These elements function as plot devices rather than nuanced explorations of agency.