{"id":8939,"date":"2025-08-20T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/?p=8939"},"modified":"2025-08-20T10:38:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T15:38:53","slug":"not-everything-stays-buried-forever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/not-everything-stays-buried-forever\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Everything Stays Buried Forever"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>4 Minute, 45 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

MOVIE REVIEW<\/strong>
\nA Useful Ghost (Phi Chidi Kha) <\/strong>
\n\u00a0<\/strong>–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Genre: <\/strong>Comedy, Fantasy
\nYear Released: <\/strong>2025
\nRuntime:<\/strong> 2h 20m
\nDirector(s): <\/strong>Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
\nWriter(s): <\/strong>Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
\nCast: <\/strong>Davika Hoorne, Witsarut Himmarat, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wanlop Rungkumjad, Wisarut Homhuan, Sarut Komalittipong, Wachara Kanha, Teepisit Mahaneeranon
\nWhere to Watch:<\/strong> shown at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, shown at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival<\/p>\n

\n

RAVING REVIEW:\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong>There\u2019s bold, and then there\u2019s bewildering\u2014and this one walks that line with an uneven but undeniably curious confidence. A USEFUL GHOST presents a premise that\u2019s strange enough to be memorable, yet it stumbles when translating that novelty into something emotionally satisfying. It\u2019s the kind of film that feels like it\u2019s reaching for meaning, but never quite gets there, even when its intentions are admirable.<\/p>\n

\n

The story hinges on March (Wisarut Himmarat), a grieving husband who discovers his late wife Nat (Davika Hoorne) has returned\u2014but not in any traditional ghostly sense. It\u2019s a premise that\u2019s as bizarre as it gets, and it’s played straight, aiming to be more contemplative than comedic. The ambition to make her feel like a real character is commendable, but the emotional stakes never rise enough to justify the film\u2019s dramatic weight.<\/p>\n

Hoorne lends her voice to Nat, and her performance has an understated quality that works in isolated moments. However, the setup doesn\u2019t allow her\u2014or the character\u2014to develop beyond the concept. Nat\u2019s desire to be seen and useful even after death is a thoughtful starting point, but the execution often feels more like an idea than a fully formed arc. The surrounding cast delivers the needed reactions, but they\u2019re mostly there to support the concept rather than challenge or complicate it.<\/p>\n

What holds back A USEFUL GHOST the most is its refusal to settle into a swing. The story folds in dreams, narration, and layered framing devices, creating a structure that tries to be poetic but comes off as unfocused. Instead of enriching the narrative, these elements scatter it. The film wants to explore simultaneously grief, labor, memory, and protest, but the lack of cohesion makes each theme feel half-hearted.<\/p>\n

There are moments of intrigue scattered throughout. With its exaggerated design and vintage flair, Nat’s costume gives her presence a visual identity that intentionally clashes with her surroundings. These choices help give the film a surreal, dreamlike flavor and hint at a more effective version of this story that fully embraces its absurdity or emotional stakes. Unfortunately, it never quite commits to either.<\/p>\n

The film introduces some layered metaphors around dust, which is presented both as an environmental danger and a social commentary. In contemporary Thai slang, \u201cdust\u201d refers to people rendered invisible or powerless, and the film tries to tie this concept into its broader exploration of labor and loss. There\u2019s something here, particularly the link between haunting and exploitation, but the message often gets lost in the fog of the film\u2019s structure. Instead of making a sharp statement, it settles for vague gestures.<\/p>\n

The central conflict\u2014Nat trying to be accepted again by her family and society\u2014should feel weighty, but it\u2019s underdeveloped. Her family\u2019s reaction to her presence lacks nuance, moving too quickly from disbelief without enough time to explore the emotional complexity that should accompany such a reunion. This keeps the audience at a distance, watching rather than feeling. Without deeper investment in the characters\u2019 emotional responses, the metaphor loses its grounding.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is reaching for something personal and political here. You can feel the desire to challenge traditional storytelling and to use cinema as a space for memory and resistance. But the film\u2019s scattered expression and inconsistent tone make it difficult to stay engaged. It\u2019s like a half-remembered dream\u2014at times beautiful, but ultimately hard to hold onto.<\/p>\n

A USEFUL GHOST is at its best when it lets its weirdness breathe without overexplaining. But even then, it struggles to connect the parts. There are glimpses of a stronger film within it, one with sharper focus and a clearer sense of who it\u2019s speaking for and why. As it stands, it feels like a draft of something bolder.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, it\u2019s an experience that\u2019s more interesting to describe than to watch. It doesn\u2019t collapse under its ambition, but never accomplishes it either. The concept sticks with you, but the emotion fades. And for a film about ghosts who refuse to be forgotten, that\u2019s a contradiction it never quite resolves.<\/p>\n

Please visit https:\/\/linktr.ee\/overlyhonestr for more reviews.<\/p>\n

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for ‘Overly Honest Reviews’.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m always happy to hear from my readers; please don’t hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.<\/p>\n

[photo courtesy of BEST FRIEND FOREVER, 185 FILMS, MOMO FILM CO, HAUT LES MAINS PRODUCTIONS, MAYANA FILMS]<\/em><\/p>\n

DISCLAIMER:<\/strong>
\nAt Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.<\/p>\n

Amazon Affiliate Links:<\/strong>
\nAdditionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.<\/p>\n

\n
\n \n
\n \n \"Happy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Happy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sad\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sad <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Excited\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Excited <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Sleepy\"\n <\/a>\n
\n Sleepy <\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n \n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Angry\"\n <\/a>\n
Angry<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n \"Surprise\"\n <\/a>\n
Surprise<\/div>\n
\n 0<\/span>\n 0<\/span> %<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MOVIE REVIEW A Useful Ghost (Phi Chidi Kha) \u00a0–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Genre: Comedy, Fantasy Year Released: 2025 Runtime: 2h 20m Director(s): Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Writer(s): Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke Cast: Davika Hoorne, Witsarut Himmarat, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wanlop Rungkumjad, Wisarut Homhuan, Sarut Komalittipong, Wachara Kanha, Teepisit Mahaneeranon Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, shown at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,18,37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cannes","category-film-festival","category-tiff"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8939"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9668,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8939\/revisions\/9668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mailnewsgroup.com\/ohmr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}