The Devil's Backbone

The film does not include any visible LGBTQ+ narratives or characters with non-straight identities. Instead, it focuses on the relationships among orphans and the looming threat of war.

The cast is predominantly male, reflecting the historical context of the Spanish Civil War. However, it challenges traditional male authority figures by showing them as negligent or morally flawed.

The cast remains fairly uniform due to the specific Spanish setting. The film uses supernatural elements as metaphors for the hidden and forgotten victims of political turmoil.

The film provides a deep critique of religious and state authority. It depicts institutions like the church as places of complicity rather than sanctuary, embracing moral ambiguity.

Physical disabilities are not prominent, but the film examines the invisible disabilities of grief and psychological trauma. Supernatural elements symbolize the characters' fragmented mental states.