The film portrays a killer who cross-dresses as a man, linking this gender presentation directly to villainy, deception, and a disturbed psychological state stemming from past trauma. This depiction reinforces harmful stereotypes by associating gender non-conformity with pathology and danger, rather than affirming any aspect of gender identity. For example, the killer's disguise is integral to their violent acts.

The film portrays the breakdown of traditional family norms through themes of infidelity, ineffective parental authority, and the tragic consequences of secret sexual transgressions within a seemingly traditional institutional setting, without endorsing alternative structures.

The film portrays a Catholic girls' school as a setting for repression, hypocrisy, and violence. The institution's strictures and the secrets it harbors contribute to the tragic events, presenting the religious environment as problematic and failing its students.