Its themes revolve around violence, fractured masculinity, love, loss, personal choices, and the symbolic role of dogs in Mexico City's harsh realities, presented through traditional narrative techniques without any framing around identity politics, systemic oppression, or social justice activism. The film follows classic 2000 Mexican storytelling conventions centered on fate, violence, and raw human impulses, delivering a realistic societal portrait free of activist overlays or ideological messaging. Director Iñárritu's debut emphasizes authentic character-driven drama rather than progressive themes, with an all-Mexican cast that fits the setting and source material organically and without any alterations to established characters. The sole notable controversy stems from depictions of dogfighting, not from any social justice elements, underscoring how the work prioritizes unvarnished human stories over contemporary political framing and maintains strong audience alignment through its focus on universal impulses instead of identity-based narratives.