Cannes Review: An Entertaining Ghost Shares an Unusual and Amusing Supernatural Story

      While ghosts and spirits have traditionally served as a source of cinematic frights—from The Innocents to Poltergeist to The Ring—there's been a more recent trend of films that delve into the emotional and tangible impacts these apparitions can have on the living. In this vein, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s directorial debut, A Useful Ghost, aligns with works like Uncle Boonmee, Personal Shopper, A Ghost Story, and Light from Light. It presents a unique, calming, and humorous examination of the dilemmas that might arise if ghosts were a normal part of everyday life, shedding light on the social and political challenges of contemporary Thailand and industrialization as a whole.

      “Dust is a necessary evil. There is no progress without dust.” These opening lines set the tone for the rampant commercialization that prioritizes profit over community, affecting both the living and the spectral beings in A Useful Ghost. The protagonist, an "academic ladyboy" named (Wisarut Homhuan), struggles with the dust from a nearby construction site for a large mall that is replacing local businesses and vibrant murals. After acquiring a vacuum to clean up the debris in his apartment, he begins to hear peculiar coughing noises emanating from the machine. A repairman named Krong (Rungkumjad Krong) quickly appears after being called. In a nesting-doll narrative style, Krong recounts the story of a factory worker who haunts these appliances following their death due to unsafe working conditions. As the supernatural narrative unfolds, it’s revealed that March (Witsarut Himmarat), the son of the factory's matriarch Suman (Apasiri Nitibhon), lost his wife Nat (Davika Hoorne) and their unborn child due to a respiratory illness. Nat then reappears as a red vacuum cleaner, leading to a whimsical love story involving ghostly encounters.

      Though the absurdity of this premise might easily drift into overly silly territory, Boonbunchachoke maintains a cleverly balanced tone of subtle and calm satire that effectively navigates this complex narrative. As March interacts with the spirit of Nat contained within the vacuum cleaner, viewers first see her in human form, emphasizing a lasting physical connection that persists, at least in March's mind. Humorous cuts reveal how others perceive the possessed vacuum, which seems to be a companion to March. Assertions about the "immoral" nature of the bond between man and machine are raised. While the situation appears comedic, the witnesses respond with a matter-of-fact attitude, accepting Nat's presence while denying the legitimacy of their relationship. This scenario prompts laughter as it imagines how society would react to tangible ghosts, if everyone accepted them at face value. Could a ghost be prosecuted for stealing a vacuum they inhabit? Can ghosts consent to the use of their frozen eggs for artificial insemination? What are the ethical considerations of ghosts entering the dreams of the living?

      Cinematographer Pasit Tandaechanurat captures a mesmerizing elegance in each shot, complemented by a harp-rich score from Chaibovon Seelukwa that evokes a sense of being swept away into a magical, dream-like tale, enhanced by playful wipe transitions and iris shots. While the humor of an outrageous premise sometimes risks feeling overdrawn and the contemplative pace may occasionally come off as sluggish, Boonbunchachoke's screenplay cleverly expands the initial concept to explore the enduring nature of love despite fading memories and what occurs when a ghost finds closure. With additional themes emerging—covering unsafe labor conditions, queerness, political movements, and the dynamics of the ghost world—it becomes clear that A Useful Ghost is more than just an unconventional love story. A surprising ending that leans into more genre-typical thrills may feel disjointed from earlier tones, yet A Useful Ghost stands out as an impressively ambitious and layered debut that reveals the capability of a spirit to shine a light on the complexities and problems of modern existence.

      A Useful Ghost premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.