In A Useful Ghost, there exist numerous make-out moments featuring a man and a vacuum cleaner, none of which unfold as one might anticipate. (Unless nipple play was on your mind?)

The visual of a man clutching a vacuum in the film’s trailer compelled me to see it at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. I value films that present fresh concepts. This outrageous Thai comedy delivers that in abundance.

On its surface, the film revolves around spirits using vacuum cleaners to reconnect with their past lives. However, writer/director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke intricately interlaces narratives of affection, yearning, and political dissent into this whimsical premise.

Discussing this film gives the impression of recounting a surreal dream. It’s hardly surprising that it clinched the Critics’ Week Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and serves as Thailand’s entry for the Academy Awards’ international feature film category. Its impact is noteworthy.

A Useful Ghost is a mesmerizing narrative resembling a Russian doll.

Boonbunchachoke weaves stories within stories. The movie opens with an “Academic Ladyboy” (Wisarut Homhuan), who acquires a vacuum to clean dust from a dilapidated monument near an apartment. Dust and vacuums recur as symbols, representing the urgency to overlook the past.

The vacuum acquisition alters everything as it is purportedly haunted, according to Krong (Wanlop Rungkumjud), a repair technician. He recounts two other haunted vacuum tales: one featuring a vengeful spirit in a family-run factory, and another concerning March (Wisarut Himmarat), who mourns his wife Nat (Davika Hoorne), who reappears as a vacuum.

Suman (Apasiri Nitibhon), the factory proprietor, disapproved of Nat in her lifetime and is even less fond of her as a vacuum. A monk illustrates that spirits linger because they are remembered and remember others. As memories diminish, so too do the spirits. Suman resolves to erase Nat from March’s memory.

Before Nat dissipates, Suman’s family learns she has the ability to enter dreams to comprehend Thailand’s spectres. Once recognized, these spirits can be eliminated by making their loved ones forget them.

The Academic Ladyboy is dismayed by Nat’s treachery. Boonbunchachoke explores political allegory through a storyline involving a politician desiring Nat to erase the ghosts of a political tragedy. This humorous narrative carries an urgent message.

Kink and queerness are central to A Useful Ghost.

Boonbunchachoke introduces audiences to an LGBTQ+ character, the Academic Ladyboy, characterized by curiosity and queerness. Subsequently, March’s mother faces criticism for raising a gay son and another who is infatuated with a vacuum. Intimate moments between March and vacuum Nat, along with scenes of same-sex intimacy, imply a relationship between these affections, existing beyond traditional norms.

Queerness is lauded in A Useful Ghost. The Academic Ladyboy engages with Krong’s narrative empathetically. Their bond is instantaneous and satisfying. Another subplot delves into how Thai homophobia inflicts pain and creates unresolved issues. March’s gay brother, despite family criticism, is depicted joyfully alongside his husband and son, contemplating a move to Australia.

Nat and March are heterosexual, but Nat’s vacuum persona positions them beyond heteronormative confines. Monks derogatorily label her a “thick cunt” while attempting to exorcise her. Nat encounters animosity for her affection due to her form. While this analogy may seem overt, Boonbunchachoke’s unexpected storytelling captivates viewers, urging reflection on its implications afterward. A Useful Ghost is unforgettable for its humor, romance, and surprising developments.

This film’s mix of queerness, comedy, and politics draws parallels to John Waters or Pedro Almodóvar. The sharp, menacing conclusion resonates with Bong Joon Ho’s political satires. With <