Co-writer Rossella Drudi has described the satire as arising directly from irritation with friends adopting vegetarian diets, making this the film's central thematic driver rather than any progressive messaging. The story follows a traditional nuclear family on vacation, with young Joshua relying on his deceased grandfather's ghost to defend his parents and sister against the goblins, adhering to classic horror conventions of child heroism and parental skepticism without introducing identity politics or systemic critiques. The emotional core rests on the grandfather-grandson bond and intact family unit, presenting these structures as sources of strength rather than objects of deconstruction.

An incidental 1990s comedic subplot involving the sister accusing her boyfriend of homosexuality over his male friendships appears only as period humor and does not advance representation or challenge norms. These elements combine to keep progressive themes absent, resulting in a low woke score driven by the satirical focus on diet and the reinforcement of conventional family dynamics.