The 2020 adaptation introduces significant changes, notably making the main child and his grandmother African-American, and adjusting several character backgrounds. Some viewers feel these changes were made more for diversity points than narrative improvement, though the story itself remains generally intact. There are moments where identity feels foregrounded a bit excessively, slightly undermining the classic Roald Dahl atmosphere.

Traditional family dynamics remain (grandmother-grandson bond), but the depiction of authority and religion is downplayed. Masculinity isn’t overtly mocked, but traditional frameworks are soft-pedaled in favor of updating the cast and ethos for a modern audience. The witch villains are portrayed as outcasts, which can be seen as a commentary on intolerance, though not overly so.

There’s a clear embrace of modern inclusion, but it doesn’t aggressively mock alternative viewpoints. Traditional, non-woke perspectives are mostly just absent, not villainized, but the film certainly rides the wave of Hollywood’s current ideological uniformity about representation and identity.