‘Red Crown’ challenges beauty queen stereotypes through satire, suspense
Beauty queens are often expected to appear flawless, deliver polished answers and maintain a perfect image, but GMA Pictures’ upcoming film “Red Crown” aims to reveal the imperfections, personal struggles and humanity behind the glamour of pageantry.
Featuring real-life beauty queens, actresses and digital personalities, the satirical thriller explores a fictional competition in which 25 women vie for a P25 million prize, with the stakes extending beyond the usual fight for a crown.
During the film’s recent media conference, the cast discussed how the project challenges stereotypes about beauty queens, examines the pressures of competition, and highlights the importance of authenticity and sisterhood.
Miss Universe Philippines 2013 Ara Arida, who is among the real-life beauty queens in the ensemble, said the film seeks to remind audiences that women in pageantry experience the same emotions and make mistakes like everyone else.
“Beauty queens are humans as well. We’ve been stereotyped that this is how we look, this is how we act but in reality, we can feel sad and be funny as well. We make mistakes but what’s important is we know how to handle it, and we know how to stand up after every mistake,” Arida said.
Miss Chinatown Philippines 2025 Yza Thalia Uy, who plays beauty influencer Faith Villacorta, said her character also challenges the expectation that women must always present a carefully curated image of themselves.
As an influencer, her character is associated with finding the perfect angle, lighting, opportunity, content and appearance. Uy said the film questions the pressure to meet those standards.
“For me, being a true queen or a true woman is all about how you genuinely connect with the people around you. And the first person you’d like to connect with is yourself,” Uy said.
Her sister, Supermodel Universe 2025 International Grand titleholder Yna Angela Uy, also emphasized that pageantry should be about more than physical appearance and confidence.
“It’s not just about the beauty or its facade, but what’s more important is our heart, our truest self,” she said.
Beyond the fight for the crown
Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Marquez Dee described “Red Crown” as an exaggerated take on the world of beauty pageants, using satire to magnify the pressures and power dynamics that can exist behind the scenes.
“Red Crown is when you take a beauty pageant to the extreme,” Dee said.
She pointed to a scene involving a puppet as an example of how pageant directors can influence contestants behind the scenes.
“Usually in the pageants that we love, we’re fighting for one crown. But this time, we’re fighting for our lives,” Dee said.
She also recalled a conversation with co-star Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo, who described the characters as satirical exaggerations of themselves.
The film’s premise pushes the familiar rivalry among contestants into more dangerous territory, combining the spectacle of pageantry with suspense and comedy.
Director Dominic Zapata said bringing together a large ensemble of performers from different backgrounds was a significant undertaking, but the story offered an opportunity to deliver a broader social message.
“It’s kind of a social statement. This film uses the suspense-thriller genre,” Zapata said.
Ruffa Gutierrez, who plays the national director of the fictional pageant, said the film brings together two industries that have shaped her career.
“The showbiz industry taught me how to tell a story, and pageantry taught me how to own the stage,” she said.
Gutierrez described the film as campy and exciting, with elements of horror and suspense. She also expressed hope that her first collaboration with GMA Pictures would lead to more projects.
Competition, sisterhood
While “Red Crown” dramatizes the rivalry among contestants, its cast members also used the media conference to discuss what healthy competition should look like in an industry where women are frequently compared with one another.
Sanya Lopez said competitiveness does not have to come at the expense of kindness and respect.
“You can still win, you still want to win, but there should be goodness in your heart. Just be nice, be respectful, and it’s a healthy competition when you inspire other women,” Lopez said.
She encouraged women to help one another gain confidence rather than treating fellow contestants solely as rivals.
Faith Da Silva echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that another person’s achievements should not diminish one’s own accomplishments.
“Healthy competition means you shouldn’t compare yourself with other people. The success of other people doesn’t take away your own,” she said, adding that everyone has different strengths, weaknesses, personalities and backgrounds.
Shuvee Etrata said women should make room for one another to succeed instead of viewing opportunities as limited to a single person.
“You lift each other up, you respect each other, and I believe there’s always room for another woman to shine,” she said.
Ashley Ortega, who competed against other athletes as a figure skater, said strong competitors motivated her to improve rather than undermine those around her.
“In a competition, there should always be growth, respect and sisterhood. If there’s comparison or jealousy, I feel like you have lost the competition already,” Ortega said.
She added that learning to accept defeat was an important part of her own experience, allowing her to move forward instead of abandoning her ambitions.
Directed by Dominic Zapata and written by Kit Villanueva and Ken de Leon, “Red Crown” is scheduled to open in Philippine cinemas on Oct. 28.
