‘Drags to Riches’ is throwback to past Pinoy comedies

As Pinoy comedies have become more sentimental and grounded in their storytelling, “Drags to Riches” brings back a classic flair that we have not seen in a while: unapologetically campy, delightfully unserious, and unabashedly queer in its humor.

Releasing in time for Pride Month exclusively at SM Cinemas, “Drags to Riches” follows Andre and Troye (played by Elijah Canlas and Inigo Pascual, respectively), highly competitive frenemies working at a male underwear company who are both vying for a promotion. Their hopes are dashed when their boss, Don Manny (Benjie Paras), instead appoints his son, Jarold (Christian Bables), to the coveted position in the family business.

Andre and Troye are then tasked with looking after Jarold, only for him to disappear without a trace. Desperate to keep their jobs, they discover that Jarold has a secret gay twin brother, Jonas (also played by Bables), a drag queen raised by his mother (K Brosas), who was once Don Manny’s secretary.

The pair convinces Jonas to impersonate his straight twin, setting off a series of hilarious misadventures, such as when Jonas, disguised as Jarold, tries to make the company more inclusive despite his father’s homophobia, while Andre and Troye desperately seek fake Jarold’s approval in hopes of securing the promotion. Adding to the madness is Jarold’s arranged engagement to Irene (Pau Dimaranan), who is secretly in love with Troye instead.

Also part of the supporting cast are comedian Macoy Dubs; drag queens Deja, Mrs. Tan, Feyvah Fetale, and Moi Bien as the company’s nosy secretary, Adam Domingo as Andre and Troye’s private investigator; as well as Eli Padilla, Kobe Francisco, and Marco Navarra.

The film is directed by Cebuano filmmaker Victor Villanueva, whose signature Bisdak brand of absurdist humor, seen in “Patay Na si Hesus” and “I Am Not Big Bird,” feels right at home with the film’s hilariously queer premise.

It is Villanueva’s direction that makes the film’s funniest moments land, with every actor fully committing to the level of ridiculousness the story demands. One couldn’t help but feel that his comedic sensibilities here felt reminiscent of the late Wenn V. Deramas’ classic comedies, giving the film a refreshingly nostalgic charm.

No stranger to gay comedies, Bables is the film’s standout with his dual performance as Jonas and Jarold. His spot-on comedic timing with comic physicality makes his performance the heartbeat of the film. Likewise, Canlas and Pascual fully embrace the film’s over-the-top humor with memorable turns as Andre and Troye, revealing new sides of themselves as actors.

There are a few missed opportunities in the script that prevent the film from reaching its full potential, but there is still so much to enjoy in “Drags to Riches.”

Thanks to Villanueva’s direction and its equally committed cast, led by Bables, Canlas, and Pascual, audiences will find themselves laughing mindlessly at the film’s delightfully campy humor. Three and a half stars out of five.