The film grapples with the creeping dread of totalitarianism, echoing the chilling depths of Requiem for a Dream in its portrayal of characters consumed by dark desires. Yet, beneath this shadow of conformity, the film bravely delves into questions of masculinity, showcasing both heroic dimensions and insecurities in an allegorical rendering not dissimilar from, say, early-era Ken Russell, where bravado masks vulnerable flesh. Its flamboyant aesthetic channels the spectacle of Moulin Rouge, and at times it plays as if someone made the kind of animation found in The Sims in the style of Hitchcockian suspense, complete with his hallmark shadowy underlighting.