'Red Crown': 5 reasons to watch GMA Pictures' new comedy-thriller

This article includes spoilers for “Red Crown.”

“Red Crown," a comedy-thriller directed by Dominic Zapata and produced by GMA Pictures, is finally premiering in Philippines cinemas on Wednesday, October 28!

GMA News Online had the opportunity to be among the first to catch the film during its premiere night on Monday. The film brings together an all-star cast of beauty queens and actresses, including Sanya Lopez, Michelle Dee, Faith Da Silva, Ashley Ortega, AZ Martinez, Shuvee Etrata, Ahtisa Manalo, and Herlene Budol, among others.

It takes the already cut-throat world of pageantry to a bloody extreme by melding familiar references to real-life moments, plot twists, and unexpected cameos with a commentary on the realities of pageants.

Here are five reasons why you should watch "Red Crown."

1. A satirical comedy-thriller worthy of its name

To call “Red Crown” thrilling would be an understatement. There's a reason why it has an R-16 rating from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), after all.

The film starts off with contestants traveling to a luxury resort to compete at the Queen of the Islands pageant, where no managers and glam teams are allowed.

They wake up the next day to the new pageant owner, a puppet named Big Mama, who informs them that they are being livestreamed from backstage, in the dorms, and everywhere else.

When the contestants threaten to leave the competition, they are informed that they will lose their P1 million starting money, which can increase based on their performance. The top prize at stake? P25 million.

When Valextra, played by Herlene Budol, sticks to her principles and tries to leave, she meets a violent end.

Nevertheless, the fight for the crown continues business as usual, complete with a sizzling bikini competition with a fiery runway. Eliminated contestants who fail to make it to the "Tough Ten" are brutally murdered by a group of men.

Beyond the bloody spectacle, "Red Crown" sheds light on society's obsession and desperation when it comes to views, content, and livestream revenue.

It also depicts bettors gambling millions for the contestants while showing no empathy when they fall on the runway or risk their lives for the crown, showing that money trumps human life in a greedy world.

2. Unfiltered pageant stereotypes and realities

“Red Crown” is balanced in showing pageant stereotypes and their not-so-beautiful realities.

In the first part of the film, Herlene Budol’s character, Valextra, introduced the contestants with witty labels like starters or pageant virgins, as well as pageant veterans, and those who go the extra mile to promote their advocacies.

Valextra also showed several realities of pageantry, such as how some contestants themselves create drama or seem too perfect, while others have their own cookie-cutter branding or struggle to come up with answers to the question-and-answer portion.

Moreover, the bullying that goes on behind the scenes in pageants is not unmissed in the film. In fact, it is a major aspect among the film's plot twists.

Seeing these stereotypes come to life in “Red Crown” is an entertaining and funny part of the movie, as viewers will be able to relate to them and look back at real life queens who did the same.

3. Cheeky references to real moments in Philippine pageants

“Red Crown” is peppered with cheeky references to actual moments that happened in Philippine pageants and beyond.

For one, MJ Lastimosa, who plays Mary J in the film, experienced having trouble with her national costume. It's a cheeky reference to her own controversial national costume for Miss Universe 2014, with netizens comparing her look to a birthday cake. Just like in real life, she reinvents her costume in the film.

"Red Crown" also referred to the Top 10 finalists as the "Tough Ten," a callback to former beauty queen Janina San Miguel’s memorable way of pronouncing the term.

Michelle Dee, who plays Queen of Binondo Wendy Li, also sports a national costume where she has to hold pieces of ampao. Early this year, Michelle was embroiled in a real-life controversy involving an ampao that contained personal photos.

Sanya Lopez as Celine Macapagal also pays tribute to her real-life song, “Hot Maria Clara,” with her national costume in the film.

4. Unexpected cameos

Aside from cheeky references and Easter eggs, “Red Crown” is also teeming with cameos by familiar personalities.

Keep your eyes peeled for businessman and politician Chavit Singson, GMA Network Senior Vice President Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, and Sparkle GMA Artist Center First Vice President Joy Marcelo, who all make appearances in the film..

5. Plot twists and more plot twists

"Red Crown" won't be the thriller that it is without some juicy plot twists.

Throughout the film, Celine (Sanya) and Nora (Ashley) have discussions about the identities of their mothers.

Celine is revealed to be adopted, while Nora was abandoned in a trophy factory as a baby and does not know who her birth parents are. The characters not only try to solve their pasts, but also harness them in learning the meaning of sacrifice in beauty pageants.

The identity of Big Mama and the motivations behind her actions are also revealed, which stem from bullying in a previous pageant.

Make sure you stay until the very end, as exciting mid-credits and post-credits scenes tease that, perhaps, the fight for the crown isn’t really over yet.

—CDC, GMA News