The film contains no visible LGBTQ+ characters or explorations of non-heteronormative identities. It adheres strictly to the social and domestic structures of the 1930s.

Female characters function primarily as secondary figures or narrative catalysts. The intellectual and investigative labor is concentrated in the male protagonists, maintaining a conventional patriarchal structure.

The production features significant issues with racial authenticity. Casting a white actor of Swedish descent as the Chinese detective constitutes whitewashing, while characterization relies on Orientalist linguistic mannerisms.

The depiction of Shanghai is filtered through a Westernized lens of exoticism. The film lacks insight into the actual cultural or social complexities of the setting.

There is no discernible representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the narrative context.