The film features 'The Sisters,' a gang that commits male-on-male sexual assault against Andy Dufresne. These characters are portrayed as purely villainous and predatory, with their actions serving as a source of extreme suffering. The depiction of this homosexual aggression is entirely negative, lacking any nuance or positive counter-narrative for queer identity.

The character Ellis "Red" Redding, explicitly described as an Irishman in Stephen King's source novella, is portrayed by a Black actor in the film adaptation. This constitutes a race swap.

The film portrays Christianity primarily through the hypocritical Warden Norton, who uses faith as a facade for corruption and cruelty. However, the narrative unequivocally condemns Norton's actions and his perversion of religious principles, positioning the audience to reject such abuse of power rather than the faith itself.