Detainee 238 uses conventions from real media in its storyline, suspense, and ending while also challenging some conventions. It draws similarities to the film Road to Guantanamo in its storyline of an innocent Muslim man accused of terrorism, but challenges conventions by not clearly proving the main character's innocence. It uses suspense to make the audience feel sympathetic for characters, as in other works. While most dramas have happy endings, it challenges this by having an open-ended narrative. It also challenges conventions through its use of costumes and flashbacks.