Centered on two unnamed Soviet junior officers imprisoned in a military penal cell, the narrative explores psychological collapse through isolation, brutality, torture, and graphic acts including coprophagia and extreme violence. The all-male cast featuring Sergey Pakhomov, Vladimir Epifantsev, Aleksandr Maslaev, and Anatoly Osmolovsky portrays unaltered Soviet-era characters in their historical military roles, with no race, gender, or sexuality alterations imposed on any figures.

This casting choice maintains fidelity to the 1986 Soviet context without diversity mandates or swaps. The film's themes remain confined to classic prison and military horror tropes that critique institutional dehumanization and army hazing, drawing purely from anti-authoritarian perspectives on the Soviet system. There are no elements of LGBTQ+ representation, gender fluidity, or social justice messaging, and the director's commentary does not extend into lectures on patriarchy, systemic oppression, or identity politics. By sticking to raw historical exploitation without modern activist framing, the movie delivers its horror unencumbered by ideological overlays.