One of the film's most critical themes is its scrutiny of trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF).
The narrative challenges a movement that defines "woman" solely by anatomy.
LaBruce uses the film as a "plea for female solidarity" that transcends biological determinism, advocating for a feminism inclusive of all women regardless of their gender assigned at birth. The Threat of the "Oppressed Becoming Oppressor" The Misandrists (2017)
The film uses high-fantasy and camp to spoof second-wave feminist idioms and lesbian-separatist fantasies. The FLA lives in an isolated villa, viewing men as the "cops of the world" rather than mere humans. By exaggerating these tropes, LaBruce creates what reviewers from 4Columns describe as a "low-budget, high-fantasy tale" that burlesques radical rhetoric while taking its underlying motivations seriously. Excavating the "TURF" of Gender Essentialism
The commune’s idyll is threatened when a male fugitive is secretly harbored in their basement, exposing the cracks in their absolute separation. One of the film's most critical themes is
While some reviewers from Film Threat argue the film contains "more shock than substance," others praise it for using a salacious premise to tackle "big, knotty questions" about patriarchy and power.
Critics from Film Inquiry and itp Global Film note that the film's graphic sexual and surgical content—including a detailed reconstructive surgery sequence—serves to shock and provoke discussions on bodily autonomy. The Threat of the "Oppressed Becoming Oppressor" The
A trans enlistee within the FLA forces the group to broaden their narrow "essentialist praxis".