The antagonists' ideology provides the threat but serves primarily as a plot device for a tense, procedural horror-thriller rather than a vehicle for identity politics or systemic critiques. The band opens with a cover of the Dead Kennedys' 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off,' establishing opposition to the setting, yet this functions as genre setup rather than thematic lecturing. Director Jeremy Saulnier has stated the skinheads were chosen for their militant uniforms, hierarchy, and combat readiness to create effective adversaries in a 'punk rock war movie,' not to deliver monologues on race or nationalism.

Casting remains setting-appropriate with a predominantly white ensemble in the white supremacist bar, while minor diversity in the band such as Alia Shawkat as Sam and Anton Yelchin as Pat stays incidental and does not drive the narrative or involve forced changes to established characters. Creator intent prioritizes genre tension and humanizing all sides over activist messaging, resulting in no prominent DEI elements, LGBTQ+ representation, or critiques of traditional norms beyond the villains' extremism.