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 critiques the hypocrisy of characters like Warden Norton who exploit Christian rhetoric for personal gain and oppression. However, the narrative itself champions virtues like hope, redemption, and moral integrity, which are central to Christian teachings, thereby affirming the underlying positive principles of the faith.