Enhancement of pulsed-laser ablation by an artificially deposited liquid film is presented. Measurements of ablation rate, ablation threshold, and surface topography arc performed. Correlation between material ablation and photoacoustic effect is examined by the optical beam deflection method. The dependence of ablation rate on liquid-film thickness and chemical composition is also examined. The results indicate that photomechanical effect in the phase explosion of liquid is responsible for the enhanced ablation. The low critical temperature of liquid induces explosive vaporization with localized photoacoustic excitation in the superheat limit and increases the ablation efficiency. Experiments were carried out utilizing a Q-swiched Nd:YAG laser at near-threshold laser fluences with negligible plasma effect (up to ∼100 MW/cm$^2$).