In 1950s one of the most successful moral panics in history was started with *Seduction of the Innocent*, book by American psychiatrist Fredric Werthram who claimed that comic books at the time were too violent and causing impressionable young minds to turn to crime. Such claims, that ultimately led to establishment of strict censorship regime in USA, have some basis in real life, at least if we are believe authors of *The Young Poisoner’s Handbbook*, 1995 British black comedy directed by Benjamin Ross.
The main character is one of the most notorious killers in history of 20th Century Britain. Plot begins in early 1960s when we are introduced to Graham Young (played by Hugh O’Connor), teenager who lives in suburb of London with his father Fred (played by Roger Lloyd-Pack), stepmother Molly (played by Ruth Sheen) and older sister Winnie (played by Charlotte Coleman). Graham is very intelligent and enthusiastic reader of every book related to chemistry, but also has a slightly morbid obsession with murder which records in his diary. When his mother finds a stash of erotic magazines, she punishes him and Graham decides to poison her with antimony sulphide, which makes her violently ill. As her condition deteriorates, Graham decides to kill her thanks to an idea he found while reading comic book about Dutch resistance fighters during WW2 taking out German garrison by poisoning them with colourless, tasteless and odourless heavy metal called thallium. After he death, he tries to do the same with his father and neighbours, but he gets gets arrested and is later sent to institution for criminally insane. After few years he catches attention of Dr. Zeigler (played by Antony Sher), ambitious psychiatrist who intends to find treatment for psychopaths and for whom Graham represents perfect test subject. Through patient manipulation Graham manages to convince Dr. Zeigler that he has learned his lesson which results in his release in early 1970s. He gets job in camera factory where he, by macabre coincidence, gets access to thallium which would bring him irresistible opportunity to wreak havoc on his unsuspecting colleagues by meticulously planning and executing even more spectacular and deadlier mass poisoning.
Some critics have found *The Young Poisoner’s Book* incredibly similar to another film about misbehaving youngster who narrates his strange story of crime, punishment and failed rehabilitation – Stanley Kubrick’s *A Clockwork Orange*. Two films share similar visual style, music soundtrack, ironic use of period pop standards, dark subject mixed with plenty of irony and very dark humour. Ross was defended from charges of copying great cinema master by those who pointed that *A Clockwork Orange* had been for decades banned from playing in British cinema after some real life crimes being attributed by impressionable youth. Ross was, in their minds, simply helping his fellow Britons to see what was Kubrick’s inaccessible masterpiece truly about. Whatever Ross’ intentions were, the history was in some way repeated because *The Young Poisoner’s Handbook* too became subject of controversy. Surviving victims of Graham Young and their families launched campaign against the film claiming that it had glamourised the monster. As a result, *The Young Poisoner’s Handbook*, despite getting decent reviews, almost completely vanished from theatres and is, quite ironically, today more obscure than Kubrick’s work he had allegedly tried to replace.
Those who watch *The Young Poisoner’s Handbook* without its real life context, however, won’t have too many reasons to complain and that includes even those who watched *A Clockowork Orange* previously. Although the inevitable comparisons would predictably favour Kubrick, Benjamin Ross, known mostly for his work on television, did more than solid job, maintained steady pace and kept this often unpleasant story within manageable hour and half. Ross puts period details to good use, but the focus is less on changing British society and more than unchangeable protagonist. Young Irish actor Hugh O’Connor gives brilliant and fascinating performance in the role of intelligent, cold and at times charming psychopath who easily deceives people around him until he is brought down by his own arrogance and megalomania. O’Connor puts his big expressive eyes to good use, creating one of the most chilling villains in 1990s cinema and whose cold semi-ironic narration adds another macabre dimension to the film. Although there are better films that deal with the subjects and although the story of Graham Young is more likely to be properly told through documentary, *The Young Poisoner’s Handbook* earns the spot as one of the unjustly ignored pieces of 1990s British cinema.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
https://youtu.be/Xw6F07ChJzQ
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