A vacuum cleaner possessed by a kind spirit gets a death-changing assignment in Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s witty horrormedy infused with sentimental and absurdist ambiances.
There’s a memorable scene in a Ghostbusters episode where a microwave gets possessed by a spirit, and that got me thinking, “That’s a technological advancement for a ghost, isn’t it?” If we really ponder it, the world of cinematic horror comedy is advancing with the times. After all, what we crave is a new kind of horrormedy—one that doesn’t just unsettle us, but pins us to the edge of our seats, pulse racing, breath held, laughs encompassed. Modern comedy horror shouldn’t just haunt us; it should excite us.
Here, director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, in his feature debut, Pee Chai Dai Ka (A Useful Ghost), takes the “spirit evolution” idea and crafts a transcendent horror comedy in a far grander manner—one that immerses you in his surrealistic horror world with pure devotion.
Dust pollution has affected the nation in Thailand (more like a dystopian world), and many citizens have died due to the repercussions. March (Wisarut Himmarat), who has just lost his wife Nat (Davika Hoorne) in this situation, mourns her loss in silent depression. However, he soon realizes that Nat has possessed a vacuum cleaner, which can communicate with him and offer comfort in real-life situations, bringing his happiness back on track.
Yet March’s mother, Suman (Apasirl Nitibhon), and her family members are not happy with Nat’s presence—they feel it is immoral for a ghost to continue a relationship with the living. A pact is made to save both ends: Nat must eliminate all the other ghosts in Suman’s factory in order to prove that she’s not just a loving ghost, but a useful ghost indeed.
It’s a story within a story, whispered to a lonely ladyboy (Wisarut Homhuan) by a mysterious stranger, as her possessed vacuum cleaner coughs ominously in the corner. With eerie tranquillity, he unravels the narrative, each word dripping with clandestineness, pulling her deeper into a humorous labyrinth. Caution: tranquillity may be a camouflaged move here.
The core mechanism of poltergeist antics paired with non-sequitur dialogue carries this motion picture forward, with absurdism as its nucleus. This is the type of film that’s a crowd-pleaser—one you’d replay and still be amazed by the hidden discoveries it contains. There’s an artistic venture constructed within the humour: the mutual understanding between the dead and the living, the acceptance of paranormal activity as a real-time occurrence, and the Thai cultural intervention to communicate with spirits freely.
Surprisingly, the costume designs by Phim Umari play an important role (Nat’s peculiar attire with large padded shoulders, and the synchronized outfits of March’s family members within the same colour palette). At this point, a Wes Anderson atmosphere lingers on the surface, yet the film crackles with originality and South Asian sensibility.
La Semaine de la Critique selection A Useful Ghost is refreshingly ingenious, covering a concept so compelling it effortlessly resonates within us, blending vividly into our minds—you can’t look away for a second.
The constructive ideas are crafted meticulously, with the care of witty humour casting the environment as its ally—suffering and turmoil as the backdrop, honouring the spirits who lost their lives due to environmental degradation. The unfulfilled desires and sexual tensions, the need for companionship, the unstoppable bonds that exist forever, the cultural perspective toward the presence of souls, and the sociopolitical bureaucracy that acts as a structural limitation for all communities (even the dead)—the film offers a wholesome package that leaves a sore in our hearts behind the laughter, clumping all human emotions into one overwhelming hit.
Within a heck of a whacky, fun joyride and a crafty experimental bonanza, A Useful Ghost is, nonetheless, a film that possesses us instantly—making us believe in forgiveness, acceptance, and freedom.
Just like the lines in the film: “The dead return for two reasons; they remember and they are remembered.” Love and memories are the twin forces that endure us—the invisible threads stitching together our survival. They give breath to the living and pulse to the departed, resonating beyond the curtain of death. Because what is the afterlife, if not the strength of a heart still beating in stories from beyond?
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