A Useful Ghost

A man wakes up in the middle of the night and hears his vacuum cleaner coughing. It is 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 since the factory has long been plagued by resentful poltergeists, his family does not support this unconventional love.

Vacuum-cleaner ghost Nat steps in and helps reopen the factory. When she is later asked by those in power to also drive away “useless” spirits, Nat becomes too entangled in the plans of the corrupt elite, putting her directly at odds with March.

This impressive directorial debut won the Grand Prix at Cannes (Semaine de la Critique) and is Thailand’s official Oscar submission. Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, a major new voice in Asian cinema, has been compared to Yorgos Lanthimos and cast superstar Davika Hoorne as Nat in the lead role.