The film’s central conceit revolves around gender identity and the struggle of a woman living as a man in 19th-century Ireland. While the story is supposedly rooted in hardship and survival, some viewers might feel its focus on gender identity and social critique occasionally overshadows traditional dramatic development, leaning into modern themes.

Traditional gender roles and expectations are heavily critiqued and upended. The movie portrays conservative social structures as suffocating and highlights the protagonist’s journey as a challenge to such foundations, though it keeps things rooted in its period rather than openly vilifying the past.

While the film is nuanced, it largely frames alternative or traditional perspectives as repressive, offering little room for characters who might sincerely defend or question those values from something other than a villainous position.