Alexander Marais has stated that while the stories are standalone, there are "hints" and easter eggs in this film confirming it and Behemoth take place in the same cinematic universe, and might even be narratively linked with regards to certain events in the storylines.
Alexander Marais has described this film as an unofficial or thematic sequel, or more accurately a "spiritual successor" to Behemoth. Whereas one was about embracing the whimsical and the bizarre, the other is about creating something more precise and paranoid - something that, in his words, feels like it "could be happening all around you."
Strange things occurred during pre-production. Alexander Marais admitted several times that he was so unnerved by the real-life source material, he almost quit the project.
Like Behemoth, all of the characters despite having names this time are referred to by gender, and/or age. Marais has stated this is not a coincidence.
Apples are used metaphorically throughout the film - at times blatantly implying biblical themes, such as when the daughter and the man encounter each other in the kitchen, where he's arranged a pair of apples into a crucifix formation.