How to describe this Terry Gilliamesque trip down the rabbit hole?

The dreamlike opening images had me expecting something along the lines of David Gordon Green's George Washington. A little girl, dressed like Alice in Wonderland with red shoes and a Sunday dress, balances on a tree branch and plays with a strip of bark in a field. Then a jarring, sinister cut takes us to an empty lot, where the girl is staring curiously at the title character, a gigantic writing utensil with a goofy smile etched into the graphite. This is one creepy effect! It's got Voldemort's nose, a pristine set of buck teeth and large rolling eyes, with a pimple on its chin as a finishing touch. In the space of about two seconds, as we get a good look at this obscene thing standing on its sharpened point, Pencil Face turns from child's play into Child's Play.

The movie is a parable, along the lines of Pan's Labyrinth and MirrorMask, about being careful what you wish for. The girl discovers that her new toy can conjure up a cake and a kite, but what she thinks will be a lollypop turns out to be a black hole that sucks her into oblivion.

All the effects are amazing. The filmmakers' use of light and color is simply ravishing – it's like watching a Tarsem video. The score establishes an otherworldly tone with hypnotic chimes and bells. The little girl is a gifted performer; watch her expressive close-up in the final moments of the film, when she has just enough time to comprehend the danger before being transported. Pencil Face is similarly transporting.