A Useful Ghost”: Thai Folklore with a Satirical Twist Premieres at Cannes Critics’ Week

Cannes, France— Thai cinema took a bold, unexpected turn this year at Semaine de la Critique, with the premiere of "A Useful Ghost", the debut feature from Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke. Quirky, thoughtful, and darkly funny, the film reimagines the ghost genre with biting social satire and a surprisingly tender heart.

Ratchapoom, a filmmaker and critic with academic roots in Bangkok, has long been fascinated by the blurry space between tradition and change. “I wanted to make a ghost story where the ghost isn’t terrifying, but inconveniently helpful—like someone clinging to relevance,” he explained at the film’s Cannes panel.

Starring Thai megastar Davika "Mai" Hoorne opposite indie gem Wanlop Rungkumjad (Manta Ray), the film combines commercial charm and arthouse gravitas. Add in a ghost who may or may not be inhabiting a vacuum cleaner, and you’ve got one of the most original Thai features in recent memory.

The film’s offbeat tone was matched by a production process just as rich—funded through co-production efforts across Thailand, France (CNC), and Singapore, with producers Cattleya Paosrijaroen, Karim Aïtouna, and Tan Si En shaping the project over nearly a decade.

Shot in Bangkok and rural Thailand, with locations like a university appliance lab, A Useful Ghost explores the lingering weight of past systems, both literal and metaphorical. It’s smart genre filmmaking with a Southeast Asian soul—and we can’t wait to see how global audiences respond when it releases via JHR Films in France.

PHOTO by Nantinee Vongpuapan

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