Tech
A Useful Ghost review: Making out with a vacuum is the tip of the iceberg in this haunted comedy
Yes, in A Useful Ghost, there's a make-out scene between a man and a vacuum cleaner. Several actually. And none in the way you'd imagine. (Unless… were you immediately imagining nipple play?)
Admittedly, the image of a man cradling a vacuum in the movie's trailer is what put it toward the top of my must-sees out of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. I value cinema that shows me something I've never seen before. And I assure you, this wild Thai comedy has a lot of things you've never seen before.
On the surface, it's the tale — well, tales — of ghosts who have possessed vacuum cleaners to reconnect to the people they've left behind. But incredibly, writer/director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke builds within this undeniably silly premise interwoven stories of love, yearning, and political rebellion.
Incredibly, he does all that in a way that makes just talking about this movie feel like recounting a fever dream. It's little wonder the film won the Critics' Week Grand Prix out of the Cannes Film Festival and has been chosen by Thailand as its submission to the Academy Awards for the international feature film category. It's a marvel.
A Useful Ghost is a rapturous Russian doll of a story.
Boonbunchachoke births one story from another from another. His film begins with a self-proclaimed "Academic Ladyboy" (Wisarut Homhuan), who buys a new vacuum to bust the dust coming in from a withering stone monument outside a humble apartment. Dust and vacuums will become a recurring element of each subsequent story, representing the persistent affliction of a paved-over past and the societal pressure to sweep it away instead of confronting it.
Buying a vacuum becomes a life-changing affair, because this ladyboy's new device is haunted — or so says the hot repairman named Krong (Wanlop Rungkumjud), who comes to fix it. With a smoldering gaze, he tells a tale of two other haunted vacuums. The first is of a vengeful spirit who afflicted a family-owned vacuum factory. The second is of that factory owner's son March (Wisarut Himmarat), who was so lost in grief over the death of his wife Nat (Davika Hoorne) that she was compelled to return — as a vacuum, painted as red as her dyed hair.
Suman (Apasiri Nitibhon), the factory owner, wasn't fond of Nat while she was alive. She's even less a fan now that Nat's a vacuum, sucking on March's nipples with her bristle attachment. A monk visiting the haunted factory notes that ghosts return because they remember and are remembered. Essentially, as a ghost is forgotten by the living, they fade into nothingness. So, Suman decides to electroshock the memories of Nat right out of March's head.
However, before Nat is fully faded, Suman's family learns that Nat has a unique skill for entering the dreams of the living. There, she can better understand the haunting ghosts of Thailand. And once this "useful ghost" has identified them, these unuseful ghosts can be extinguished by electroshocking their loved ones into forgetting them.
Listening to this story, the Academic Ladyboy is repulsed by Nat's willingness to turn on her own to maintain what she has. From there, Boonbunchachoke digs deeper into political allegory through a plotline involving a politician who wishes Nat to eradicate the ghosts of those killed in a political massacre. And just like that, this silly story has a powerful message that's achingly timely.
Kink and queerness come into play in A Useful Ghost.
In the opening line of Boonbunchachoke's film, he identifies the audience conduit as a LGBTQ+ person, the Academic Ladyboy, defined chiefly by his queerness and his intellectual curiosity. Later, when March's mother is being dressed down by her in-laws over her parenting, they scold her for raising her eldest gay and her second son to make out with a vacuum. This paired with a sprinkling of love scenes between March and vacuum Nat and several gay sex scenes suggests a throughline between these loves, deemed outside the norm of an older, conservative, and ruthless faction.
Queerness itself is celebrated in A Useful Ghost. The Academic Ladyboy is a compassionate listener to Krong's winding tale. Their connection is instant, sizzling, and satisfyingly resolved. Another subplot explores how homophobia in Thailand creates heartache and ghosts with unfinished business. Meanwhile, March's gay brother — though sneered at by his aunts and uncles — is shown only as joyful and loving with his husband and their son, though they discuss moving abroad to Australia.
Nat and March are straight, but once she's embodied in a vacuum, they no longer fall within the acceptable heterocentric norms of his family and a band of monks, who swarm her and call her a "thick cunt" while they attempt to banish her. In this way, Nat becomes subjected to hatred over who she loves because of the body she inhabits. And while this analogy might sound obvious, it plays out subtly because Boonbunchachoke's story is so surprising and strange, you may be focusing more on what the fuck is happening next while you watch, only to reflect on what it all means later. And I can't stop thinking about A Useful Ghost. Its outrageous jokes, earnest romance, and gnarly twists are unforgettable.
This film's collision of queerness, comedy, and politics should draw Boonbunchachoke comparisons to John Waters or Pedro Almodóvar. But the finale, which turns sharper and deliciously menacing, feels more in line with the political satires of Bong Joon Ho. With A Useful Ghost, Boonbunchachoke delivers a a delirious vision, a hilarious and thought-provoking comedy that demands to be seen and adored. It's just phenomenal.
A Useful Ghost was reviewed out of 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
Kindles are the darling device of BookTok, where you can scroll through thousands of videos on the best accessories and gadgets to maximize your reading experience. One thing about the BookTok girlies: They're right. While I've spent hours watching videos of people decking out their Kindles with remotes and PopSockets, I never really understood the extras until I tried them for myself.
You may roll your eyes at a gooseneck stand or page-turning remote — I once did — but you're missing out on a life of luxury.
And keep in mind that while Kindles are the buzziest e-readers, there's a whole lot of love for Kobo e-readers on BookTok and here at Mashable. The Kobo Clara Colour is our favorite e-reader, after all. All of the accessories here aren't exclusive to Kindles — you can use them with a variety of other e-readers, too.
Ready to maximize your reading time? Here are the best Kindle accessories.
Remote page turner
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The remote control page turner was one of the first Kindle-adjacent gadgets to come across my feed. It clips onto the side of a Kindle, and then you press a button on the remote to turn the page, rather than tapping or swiping the screen. Tapping the screen is easy enough, but the page turner is an added layer of convenience.
At the end of the night, when you want to be cozy in bed, tucked under the blanket to stay warm, the remote allows you to do just that. Combined with the gooseneck stand? Your fall reading is about to be the coziest it's ever been.
And while the page turner is great for getting cozy, it's also ideal for when you're using a Kindle while on the treadmill.
Gooseneck stand
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While the remote page turner helps you click through your book, to go truly hands-free, you need to prop up your e-reader, too. Enter the gooseneck stand. After seeing this viral video, I, and the rest of the internet, was influenced to get a clip-in stand for an e-reader.
And let me tell you, it is a luxury to have this stand. While a Kindle is still lightweight, when you're on a reading marathon, your arm inevitably gets tired from holding up the device. But having a gooseneck stand positions the Kindle within reading distance without any arm fatigue.
To test out a gooseneck stand, I tried the Magipea Gooseneck Stand, which is compatible with either a Kindle or Kobo e-reader (I used it with both). I find the bendy arm of this stand to be a little too stiff, but overall, it still works well.
Clear case
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There are plenty of Kindle cases in the sea, but the most popular option among BookTok is a simple, clear case. Sure, that seems boring, but the exciting part of the clear case is being able to decorate and dress it up to your heart's desire. Some people even buy inserts to swap out over time.
And if you're interested in using a PopSockets grip with your Kindle, I recommend getting a case that's MagSafe compliant so you can take it on and off. PopSockets recently dropped its first-ever Kindle case that also happens to be MagSafe.
MagSafe PopSocket
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PopSockets are already the best ergonomic grip for your phone, so why wouldn't they be the best grip for another handheld device? When I'm not using my Kindle with the gooseneck stand, I like using it with a PopSockets grip for an ergonomic hold.
With a traditional PopSockets grip, you attach it to a device with adhesive but that means once it's on, it's on. But using a MagSafe PopSockets grip allows you to attach and reattach the grip, depending on if you want your Kindle to lie flat.
I personally use the PopSockets MagSafe Kick-Out Stand with my Kindle since that's what I use on my phone, and I like that I can prop it up to stand vertically. However, PopSockets just launched a line of bookish MagSafe grips to go with its line of Kindle cases.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Strapsicle Straps
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If PopSockets grips aren't really your thing, then Strapsicle makes a nice alternative. Strapsicle's straps attach to the corners of your e-reader, creating a cross pattern. Your hand then slips through the straps, delivering an easy hold on your e-reader. While I personally prefer the feel of a PopSockets grip, the Strapsicle lets your hand lie flat, so it doesn't cramp up from being in a hold. The Strapsicle works best when it has a snug fit, so using it with a case can be a little tight.
Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable
Page Kindle Cases
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Before I went deep into the world of Kindle accessories, I really just wanted a good case. After several well-placed Instagram ads, I landed on a case from Page. Not only do they have a ton of really cute designs, but they also make cases for a variety of e-readers, including the full Kindle and Kobo lineups.
The case automatically wakes and sleeps your e-reader, and it includes a hand strap for a nice grip while reading. Plus, I like this case because it guards the poorly placed power button on the e-reader. This way when I'm reading on the treadmill, the button doesn't accidentally get pressed.
SAVE $152: As of Sept. 11, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are down to just $198 at Amazon. That's a savings of 43% and just a few bucks shy of their best price ever.
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Although Sony's new WH-1000XM6 headphones have definitely wowed us, their upgrades are pretty minimal. "I'd class the changes as more iterative than innovative," Mashable's tech editor writes in his review. And to be totally honest, the XM5s were only a slight upgrade from the XM4s. In other words, if you're not pressed on getting the latest and greatest Sony tech, you can keep a whole lot of extra money in your pocket by grabbing the still-great XM4s.
As of Sept. 11, the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for just $198 at Amazon. That's a 43% or $152 price drop from their typical list price and just a few bucks shy of their best price ever. FWIW, that's also $100 cheaper than the XM5s and $230 cheaper than the XM6s.
With minor generation-over-generation upgrades, Sony has not only managed to keep the XM4 headphones from 2020 relevant, but also an impressive budget-friendly option in 2025. They offer top-notch noise cancellation, impressive sound quality, customizable EQ, a comfortable fit, and foldable cups that make them great for travel (unlike the XM5s). The XM5 and XM6 headphones obviously have even better specs, but whether or not the slight updates are worth forking over another $100-$230 is debatable. For less than $200, the XM4s are a fantastic value.
It took mere hours for the internet to spin out on conspiracies about the murder of Charlie Kirk — who died yesterday after being shot at a public event in Utah — according to reports.
The far-right commentator, who often engaged in vitriolic debates about immigration, gun control, and abortion on college campuses, was killed while on a university tour with his conservative media group, Turning Point USA. The organization has spent the last decade building conservative youth coalitions at top universities and has become closely affiliated with the nationalist MAGA movement and President Trump. As early reports of the incident rolled in from both reputed news agencies and pop culture update accounts, it was unclear if Kirk was alive or if his shooter had been apprehended.
But internet sleuths on both sides of the political aisle were already mounting for battle on social media, trying to identify the names of individuals in the crowd and attempting keyboard forensic science as they zoomed in closer and closer on the graphic video of Kirk being shot. Some alleged that Kirk's bodyguards were trading hand signals right before the shot rang out. Others claimed the killing was actually a cover-up to distract from Trump's unearthed communications with deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Exacerbating the matter were AI-powered chatbots, which have taken over social media platforms both as integrated robotic helpers and as AI spam accounts that automatically reply to exasperated users.
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In one example, according to media and misinformation watchdog NewsGuard, an X account named @AskPerplexity, seemingly affiliated with the AI company, told a user that its initial claim that Charlie Kirk had died was actually misinformation and that Kirk was alive. The reversal came after the user prompted the bot to explain how common sense gun reform could have saved Kirk's life. The response has been removed since NewsGuard's report was published.
"The Perplexity Bot account should not be confused with the Perplexity account," a Perplexity clarified in a statement to Mashable. "Accurate AI is the core technology we are building and central to the experience in all of our products. Because we take the topic so seriously, Perplexity never claims to be 100% accurate. But we do claim to be the only AI company working on it relentlessly as our core focus."
Elon Musk's AI bot, Grok, erroneously confirmed to a user that the video was an edited "meme" video, after claiming that Kirk had "faced tougher crowds" in the past and would "survive this one easily." The chatbot then doubled down, writing: "Charlie Kirk is debating, and effects make it look like he's 'shot' mid-sentence for comedic effect. No actual harm; he's fine and active as ever." Security experts said at the time that the videos were authentic.
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In other cases NewsGuard documented, users shared chatbot responses to confirm their own conspiracies, including those claiming his assassination was planned by foreign actors and that his death was a hit by Democrats. One user shared an AI-generated Google response that claimed Kirk was on a hit list of perceived Ukrainian enemies. Grok told yet another X user that CNN, NYT, and Fox News had all confirmed a registered Democrat was seen at the crime and was a confirmed suspect — none of that was true.
"The vast majority of the queries seeking information on this topic return high quality and accurate responses. This specific AI Overview violated our policies and we are taking action to address the issue,” a Google spokesperson told Mashable.
Mashable also reached out to Grok parent company xAI for comment.
Chatbots can't be trained as journalists
While AI assistants may be helpful for simple daily tasks — sending emails, making reservations, creating to-do lists — their weakness at reporting news is a liability for everyone, according to watchdogs and media leaders alike.
Algorithms don’t call for comment.
– McKenzie Sadeghi, NewsGuard
"We live in troubled times, and how long will it be before an AI-distorted headline causes significant real world harm?" asked Deborah Turness, the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, in a blog from earlier this year.
One problem is that chatbots just repeat what they're told, with minimal discretion; they can't do the work that human journalists conduct before publishing breaking news, like contacting local officials and verifying images or videos that quickly spread online. Instead, they infer an answer from whatever is at their fingertips. That's significant in the world of breaking news, in which even humans are known to get it wrong. Compared to the black box of AI, most newsrooms have checks and balances in place, like editors double-checking stories before they go live.
On the other hand, chatbots offer personal, isolated interactions and are notoriously sycophantic, doing everything they can to please and confirm the beliefs of the user.
"Our research has found that when reliable reporting lags, chatbots tend to provide confident but inaccurate answers," explained McKenzie Sadeghi, NewsGuard researcher and author of the aforementioned analysis. "During previous breaking news events, such as the assassination attempt against Donald Trump last year, chatbots would inform users that they did not have access to real-time, up-to-date information." But since then, she explained, AI companies have leveled up their bots, including affording them access to real-time news as it happens.
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"Instead of declining to answer, models now pull from whatever information is available online at the given moment, including low-engagement websites, social posts, and AI-generated content farms seeded by malign actors. As a result, chatbots repeat and validate false claims during high-risk, fast-moving events," she said. "Algorithms don’t call for comment."
Sadeghi explained that chatbots prioritize the loudest voices in the room, instead of the correct ones. Pieces of information that are more frequently repeated are granted consensus and authority by the bot's algorithm, "allowing falsehoods to drown out the limited available authoritative reporting."
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU, a nonpartisan law and policy institute, also tracks AI's role in news gathering. The organization has raised similar alarms about the impact of generative AI on news literacy, including its role in empowering what is known as the "Liar's Dividend" — or the benefits gained by individuals who stoke confusion by claiming real information is false. Such "liars" contend that truth is impossible to determine because, as many now argue, any image or video can be created by generative AI.
Even with the inherent risks, more individuals have turned to generative AI for news as companies continue ingraining the tech into social media feeds and search engines. According to a Pew Research survey, individuals who encountered AI-generated search results were less likely to click on additional sources than those who used traditional search engines. Meanwhile, major tech companies have scaled back their human fact-checking teams in favor of community-monitored notes, despite widespread concerns about growing misinformation and AI's impact on news and politics. In July, X announced it was piloting a program that would allow chatbots to generate their own community notes.
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