The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ narratives or non-cisnormative identity arcs. While it minimizes heteronormative expectations through communal existence, there is little evidence of specific queer identities.

Costa bypasses traditional gender hierarchies by focusing on shared survival and communal bonds. However, the score is limited by a lack of nuanced character arcs centered on gendered agency.

The film excels in portraying the Black diaspora within a European context. By centering Black and Portuguese inhabitants, it effectively challenges monolithic depictions of Western European identity.

The narrative critiques Western institutional failures and the systemic neglect of the poor. It prioritizes human dignity over the rigid structures of capitalism and state authority.

The film offers a visceral depiction of physical vulnerability and the toll of socioeconomic hardship. It refuses to sanitize bodily decay, though it lacks specific neurodivergent-centric agency.