The film follows a traditional heteronormative structure focused on adolescent romance. There is a notable absence of queer subtext or non-cisnormative identities.

Female leads Mal and Evie drive the plot with high levels of agency and intellectual independence. They successfully subvert the trope of the passive female archetype.

A diverse ensemble challenges the historically homogeneous depictions of royalty in Western fairy tales. Diverse skin tones are integrated into the core of the narrative.

The story critiques exclusionary social structures by framing villainous lineages as products of systemic exile. It promotes moral relativism over a simple good versus evil binary.

The film lacks an explicit focus on physical or neurodivergent disabilities. While characters face psychological struggles, these are not framed through the lens of disability agency.