The film features a lesbian character whose identity is presented factually without judgment, though her life is marked by illness. The protagonist's intense attachments, potentially queer, are part of her descent into delusion and tragedy, but her sexuality is not the narrative's focus or cause of her issues. The overall portrayal is incidental, neither affirming nor denigrating LGBTQ+ themes.

The film portrays Christianity through the lens of Maud's extreme, isolated, and increasingly delusional faith. It depicts her piety as intertwined with mental illness, leading to self-harm, obsessive behavior, and a horrific climax, without offering a counterbalancing positive or nuanced portrayal of the religion within the narrative.