The film uses queer subtext as a central driver of its mystery. Repressed same-sex intimacy acts as a catalyst for tension and systemic conflict within the monastery.

A patriarchal monastic hierarchy dominates the narrative, leaving women with almost no agency. Female characters are relegated to peripheral or victimized roles, such as the peasant girl.

The casting is almost entirely homogeneous, reflecting a Western European demographic. There is no significant inclusion of non-white characters in positions of agency.

The film provides a sharp critique of the Church and the Inquisition. It portrays these institutions as dogmatic and oppressive rather than moral anchors.

Physical frailty and mental instability are used primarily as plot devices or markers of the era's grim reality. Characters with disabilities lack meaningful agency.