The prominent queer romance between these established main characters, including bed scenes and fantasies more explicit than in the 1985 film, directly drives the protagonist's independence and empowerment arcs. This element contributes to the moderate score by foregrounding identity exploration as essential to the plot rather than incidental. Core themes of Black women's resilience against systemic racism, sexism, and abuse remain foundational to the narrative premise and character motivations, drawn directly from the source material without modern additions.

The all-Black cast and Black creative team, including director Blitz Bazawule and screenwriter Marcus Gardley, maintain fidelity to the original with no race or gender swaps. The musical format introduces some softening of violence alongside greater emphasis on joy and redemption, producing mixed critiques specifically around the degree of queer explicitness.