Additional settlers like Heinz and Margret Wittmer (Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney) and the flamboyant Baroness (Ana de Armas) arrive, leading to betrayal and deaths in a Lord of the Flies-style unraveling. The story centers on raw human nature and the collapse of an idealistic experiment rather than any modern identity politics or systemic oppression narratives. Casting uses European actors in period-appropriate roles with no race- or gender-swapping of established characters or forced DEI insertions.

Themes of escaping bourgeois values and fascism remain incidental historical context instead of activist framing or critiques of traditional norms as central drivers. There is no prominent LGBTQ+ representation, lecture moments, or creator statements emphasizing social justice intent. Mixed reviews focus on performances and melodrama rather than messaging, confirming the absence of progressive ideological elements.