Cookies, cakes, and candies; cheerfully coloured furnishings and décor; and an overabundance of toys and games fill a lavish mansion. Is it a child's dream come true?

The set of the South Korean fantasy-horror Hansel & Gretel (which opens in Vancouver on Friday [April 24] ) was intended to be just that.

The film follows a young man (Cheon Jeong-Myeong) who awakens from a car crash on a country road. He's rescued by a little girl in a red cloak who leads him through the woods to her gorgeous home and her impossibly perfect parents and siblings. But when he tries to leave the following morning, he soon discovers that escape is mysteriously futile.

In a Vancouver hotel room, director Yim Pil-Sung explains that he worked closely with production designer Seong-Hie Ryu, whose credits include Korean blockbusters like Old Boy, The Host, and Memories of Murder. “She's quite a great production designer.” The two discussed how best to express Yim's vision of a children's utopia.

“Many toys and props, we bought it or borrowed it from the great collectors [of] old toys and vintage toy collectors,” he says. “We even had insurance for old toys and props.”

Yet even the most minor of details, he adds, reflect the darkness embedded in the seemingly innocent story. Although the wallpaper has bunnies and teddy bears, he says, closer inspection reveals that the teddy bears are missing limbs and the bunnies have a “crazy smile”.

Their stylish efforts, however, were a touch too successful—the wonderland had an unanticipated effect on the youngest child actor, Jin Ji-Hee. One day, when she was supposed to shoot a melancholic scene, Yim (himself a supporting actor in The Host) discovered that “she [was] really glad [about] everything in the set—toys, props, everything. So I'm thinking about how can she act this sad mood?” To evoke a melancholic state, he asked her favourite crew members to distance themselves from her during the morning. “So in front of the camera, now she was [a] little bit confused and [in a] sad mood.” He then suggested that she channel those emotions into her performance. Afterwards, he explained everything that had gone on that morning to her. “So she [was] really pissed off sometimes.”

The tale amalgamates several elements from western childhood tales and touchstones. Through a translator, Yim explains that he used icons like Santa Claus as universal symbols of goodness. The emphasis on western culture may explain in part why Korean audiences and critics had mixed reactions to the film. He found the film had a better reception in countries like Germany, France, Canada, and Belgium. Though he was confused by Korean critical responses, he understands that Korean audiences are not as familiar with the fantasy genre.

Yet Yim hopes to connect with all audiences and seeks to transcend national and cultural boundaries because he thinks taking care of children is “one of the most important things for human life”.