A Useful Ghost
A man wakes up in the middle of the night and hears his vacuum cleaner coughing. It marks the beginning of a highly original and witty film experience with romantic, absurdist, and political layers. After the death of his wife, March is inconsolable—until, during a visit to his mother’s factory, he hears a familiar voice. Nat, his wife, has returned as a ghost—in the form of a vacuum cleaner. But because the factory has long been plagued by resentful poltergeists, his family does not support this unconventional love. Vacuum-ghost Nat steps in to help and ensures the factory can reopen. When she is asked by those in power to also drive away “unproductive” ghosts, Nat becomes too entangled in the plans of the corrupt elite, ultimately putting her at odds with March.
This impressive directorial debut won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival (Semaine de la Critique) and is Thailand’s submission for the Oscars. Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, an important new voice in Asian cinema, has been compared to Yorgos Lanthimos and cast superstar Davika Hoorne as Nat in the leading role.
- Direction
- Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
- Cast
- Davika Hoorne, Wisarut Himmarat, ApasirI Nitibhon, Wanlop Rungkumjad, Wisarut Homhuan
- Duration
- 130 min
- RELEASE
- Thu 7 May
- Year
- 2025
- Country
- Thailand, France, Singapore, Germany
- Language
- Thai
- Subtitles
- Dutch