No characters explore identity, gender, race, or systemic oppression; the cast consists entirely of Greek actors in conventional family roles—Christos Stergioglou as the authoritarian father, Michele Valley as the mother, Angeliki Papoulia and Mary Tsoni as the daughters, and Christos Passalis as the son—without any swaps or diversity mandates. Director Yorgos Lanthimos described the film in interviews as originating from observations of friends' families and questions about the future of the family unit, emphasizing extremes of control and indoctrination as a microcosm applicable to any system, without referencing activism or social justice.

Reception focused on its shocking portrayal of authoritarian parenting and incestuous dynamics, with critics noting comparisons to real cases like Fritzl but praising its absurdist neutrality rather than any messaging; no controversies involved 'woke' labeling or audience backlash over ideology. The story's emotional driver is the children's distorted reality and rebellion, rooted in classic dramatic traditions of familial tyranny, not contemporary political framing.