Asteroid City

Representation / casting choices

The large ensemble mixes actors of various backgrounds in roles that fit the 1950s American desert town story, with no emphasis on diversity as a theme, no gender or race swaps, and no identity signaling.

Political / ideological dialogue

Characters discuss grief, romance, family, and questions about existence and art, but no lines push political views, activist ideas, or social justice talking points.

Identity-driven story themes

The plot and arcs stay centered on universal personal experiences like loss and wonder, with zero focus on race, gender, sexuality, or group identity struggles.

Institutional / cultural critique

The military quarantine and cover-up of the alien event play as light absurdist comedy in a 1950s setting, without turning into modern activist attacks on government, patriarchy, capitalism, or Western norms.