The narrative is strictly heteronormative, focusing on the marriage between Thomas Hutter and Ellen. No queer identities or non-cisnormative subtext are present in the text.

Ellen disrupts traditional domestic hierarchies by transitioning from a passive figure to the primary agent of resolution. She subverts the damsel in distress trope by neutralizing the supernatural threat.

The cast is ethnically homogeneous, reflecting the historical constraints of 1922 European production. The film lacks non-European identities and focuses on a localized setting.

The film reinforces traditional moral binaries and the sanctity of the domestic unit. Religious iconography, such as the cross, serves as a symbolic tool within a standard moral framework.

Count Orlok is depicted through physical deformity, serving as a visual metaphor for the uncanny. This portrayal functions as a vessel for fear rather than a nuanced exploration of lived experience.