A man wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of his vacuum cleaner coughing. It marks the beginning of a highly original and witty gem from Thailand, layered with romance, absurdity, and political undertones.
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, inhabiting a vacuum cleaner. But as the factory has long been plagued by vengeful spirits, his family does not support this unconventional love. Vacuum-ghost Nat steps in to help, restoring the factory so it can reopen. When she is asked by those in power to also eliminate “non-useful” spirits, Nat becomes increasingly entangled in the schemes of a corrupt elite, putting her on a collision course with March.
The striking directorial debut A Useful Ghost won the Grand Prix at Cannes (Semaine de la Critique) and was Thailand’s submission for the Oscars. Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, an important new voice in Asian cinema, has drawn comparisons to Yorgos Lanthimos and cast superstar, model, singer, and YouTuber Davika Hoorne as Nat in the leading role.
