Get ready to be mesmerised by the dark magic of Thai cinema! Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke's critically acclaimed debut, 'A Useful Ghost', brings a fresh wave of supernatural black comedy and poignant social commentary crashing onto UK screens. This stylish thriller won over critics at Cannes last year with its unflinching exploration of national trauma, cleverly disguised as a haunted vacuum cleaner. As the film whisks audiences away on a journey through Thailand's turbulent past, one question looms large: can a nation truly move on from its ghosts?
The narrative is a masterclass in weaving historical events into a gripping tale that refuses to let go. Boonbunchachoke's bold vision delves into the country's modern history, confronting head-on the legacy of 2010's military crackdown, the coups of 2006 and 2014, and the 1976 Thammasat University demonstrations. These pivotal moments are reimagined as restless spirits trapped between worlds, forging a powerful metaphor for Thailand's unresolved past. The film paints a haunting picture of a nation attempting to bury its inconvenient history – much like the removal of a frieze from Bangkok’s iconic 1940 Democracy Monument, sending 'metaphorical toxic dust' into the air.
The central plot unfolds with a queer academic stumbling upon a mysterious vacuum cleaner that's coughing up the very dust it's just sucked in. Enter Krong, the repairman with a tale to tell: the factory producing this hoover is indeed haunted. Flashbacks reveal the tragic story of Tok, a worker turned poltergeist after succumbing to poisonous dust on the factory floor. But there's more – Nat, the young daughter-in-law, returns from beyond the grave, inhabiting one of the factory's vacuum cleaners after her own untimely death from dust inhalation during childbirth.
Nat's ghost is initially a beacon of hope for her grieving husband, March, but soon finds herself manipulated by the owner's widow, Suman, and later by government minister Dr. Paul. They coax the spirit into becoming 'useful to the state', using its spectral presence to invade workers' dreams – all in an effort to suppress memories of those 'commercially and politically inconvenient ghosts'. The film lays bare the insidious nature of repression, echoing a chilling promise: using Nat's frozen eggs as a twisted 'death day' gift, exploiting her yearning for motherhood.
Visually stunning and deeply unsettling, 'A Useful Ghost' draws comparisons to Thai master Joe Weerasethakul's works, like 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' and 'Cemetery of Splendour'. Western audiences may also catch echoes of classic ghost stories like 'Ghost' and 'Truly, Madly, Deeply' in its spectral, shimmering presence. Now streaming on Mubi in the UK, get ready to immerse yourself in this unforgettable experience!