On paper, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s debut feature, A Useful Ghost, seems like a whimsical ghost story from an exciting new voice in film. March (Witsarut Himmarat) discovers that his wife, Nat (Davika Hoorne), who passed away from dust poisoning, has possessed a vacuum cleaner and returned to him.

From the first note of Chaibovon Seelookwan’s dreamy score, we are transported to a fantastical version of our reality. Boonbunchachoke paints this world in bright pastels and deadpan deliveries. The possessed objects’ movement is achieved practically, adding a layer of kitschy goofiness that you can’t help but laugh at.

At the center of it all, Himmarat and Hoorne craft March and Nat’s reunion with tenderness and care. Even though we haven’t spent much time with them and one of them is a literal vacuum, we are immediately rooting for them to overcome the odds. Boonbunchachoke makes the brilliant decision to intercut between the vacuum and Hoorne, reminding us of the person beneath the machinery. 

Hoorne’s voice alone conveys so much; even though Nat is the deceased one, she is also grieving the life she knew and the plans she and March made. But you are also able to feel the warmth for her husband.

The pieces come together to build a quirky love story that sweeps the audience up so fast, you don’t notice Boonbunchachoke pivoting the story somewhere much darker until you’re in the thick of it.

March’s family owns a factory that is being haunted by disgruntled employees who have died in work-related incidents. Their ghosts possess the machines in the factory, interrupting their daily output and ultimately their income. Given their tumultuous history with ghosts, March’s family disapproves of his reunion with Nat. In an effort to preserve her relationship, Nat promises to be a useful ghost and assist in exorcising the other ghosts from the factory.

With this deal in place, the film devolves into an anti-capitalist fable that asks, “Who ultimately decides what it means to be useful?” For the March family and the upper class as a whole, profit is the priority. Anyone who gets in the way of that must be eradicated.

Ghosts are kept alive by memory; to exorcise them, their memory must be erased, putting March and Nat both at a difficult crossroads. Himmarat and Hoorne unravel their warmth as each begins to grapple with the difficult position they find themselves in—they are permitted to continue rebuilding their life together at the expense of living people’s safety and the memory of deceased community members.  

Hoorne in particular deserves to be in every major awards conversation. As her physical presence increases, we bear witness to an incredible exercise in restraint. So much of her heart resides in her eyes as Nat navigates her position.

A Useful Ghost also emphasizes the importance of memory to a community. Memory not only keeps people alive long after they are gone, but it also reminds us of why we fight for better and how power structures have failed us. Memory serves as fuel. Memory makes sure we do not forget the wrong done to us. The upper class seeks to control memory and, therefore, control the narrative. If they suppress the harm they’ve caused, they can wash their hands of any responsibility.

Sometimes Boonbunchachoke bites off more than he can chew. He takes on so many interwoven ideas, he sometimes struggles to fully detangle them. There are stretches where the momentum slows simply because there to unpack that demands our attention. 

But his vision is so undeniable and clear, A Useful Ghost thrives as a singular and unabashed critique of capitalism. What begins as a bright and goofy love story becomes a sobering reminder of the systems that literally and figuratively poison us and our humanity. Boonbunchachoke’s visual flair lures the audience into what they think is a fairytale, only to discover that it’s a familiar nightmare. 

Thailand’s submission for Best International Feature is not only a unique entry into the award conversation, it’s also the arrival of a bold visionary with a message that will linger long after the Chicago International Film Festival ends. Boonbunchachoke kindly requests his audience to be patient as he lays the path for you to arrive at radicalization yourself; the path isn’t perfectly smooth, but it is certainly worthwhile and impactful.

Review Courtesy of Adam Patla

Feature Image Courtesy of GDH 559 via The Chicago International Film Festival