The film lacks LGBTQ+ characters or themes. Interpersonal dynamics focus on heteronormative connections, specifically the professional and former romantic bond between the coroner and the entomologist.

Jeannie Devereaux provides moderate subversion as a specialized entomologist with intellectual agency. However, her role is framed through her past relationship with a male protagonist.

The New Orleans setting offers cultural plurality, but the cast follows 1970s conventions by prioritizing white protagonists. The Brazilian trawler serves as an inciting incident rather than a focus.

The narrative uses the Mardi Gras celebration as a backdrop for social disruption. It depicts the vulnerability of established social structures when facing systemic environmental threats.

There is no discernible representation of visible or invisible disabilities. Characters are defined primarily by their professional roles and their response to the biological threat.