Moneyboys offers an empathetic and complex portrayal of gay men navigating love, family obligations, and economic hardship in China. The film depicts its LGBTQ+ characters with dignity and agency, framing their struggles as external societal pressures rather than inherent issues with their identity. It affirms the worth and depth of their relationships despite a melancholic narrative.

The film features Xiaolai, a transgender woman, portrayed with dignity and complexity as a supportive friend to the protagonist. Her experiences as a trans sex worker are depicted with empathy, framing her challenges as external societal pressures rather than inherent to her identity. The narrative avoids mockery or degradation, affirming her worth and agency.

The film portrays a protagonist who engages in same-sex relationships and sex work to support his traditional family, highlighting the conflict between individual identity and rigid family expectations. It normalizes alternative family structures and sexualities while critiquing traditional parental authority and the pressure to conform to conventional marriage and gender roles.