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Crime drama

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook (1995): Cast, Box Office & Plot

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook (1995) movie poster

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook is a 1995 crime drama directed by Benjamin Ross, starring Hugh O'Conor as Graham Young, Arthur Cox and Antony Sher. It runs 1 hour 39 minutes and earned $536,825 worldwide.

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The Young Poisoner’s Handbook (1995) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 39m (99 min)
Director
Benjamin Ross
Genres
Crime , Comedy , Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Young Poisoner’s Handbook About?

The premise of The Young Poisoner’s Handbook without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Graham Young is a teenage outsider in 1960s London who despises his stepmother and is fascinated by chemistry. He channels both feelings into a calculated plan to poison her slowly. After her death he is convicted, sentenced to a psychiatric hospital, and an idealistic doctor believes he can be rehabilitated, and the story raises moral questions.

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Themes & Keywords

· 49 tags
  • poisoner
  • murder by poison
  • thallium poisoning
  • feature film directorial debut
  • serial killer crime
  • suicide by poison
  • writer director
  • teen drama
  • coming of age drama
  • psychological drama
  • social worker
  • matricide
+37 more
  • prologue and epilogue
  • teenage boy as protagonist
  • dysfunctional family
  • morbid curiosity
  • physical abuse victim
  • medical student
  • pub
  • funeral wake
  • convict
  • attempted suicide by hanging
  • dream analysis
  • reference to a diamond
  • stepmother
  • chemistry laboratory
  • factory worker
  • poisoned tea
  • chemistry student
  • family relationships
  • diamond
  • 1970s
  • 1980s
  • 1990s
  • 14 year old boy
  • dark comedy
  • murder
  • 14 year old
  • teenage boy
  • true crime
  • poison
  • psychiatrist
  • head in toilet
  • psychiatric hospital
  • psychopath
  • 1960s
  • london england
  • based on true story
  • independent film
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Cast & crew

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Cast & Characters

Hugh O'Conor leads the cast as Graham Young, with Arthur Cox as Ray and Antony Sher as Dr. Ernest Zeigler. Directed by Benjamin Ross; 30 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook

· 26 more
Show all 30 cast members
From the director

More from Benjamin Ross

More films directed by Benjamin Ross: Poppy Shakespeare and RKO 281.

Full filmography
Plot

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Plot Summary

What happens in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Graham Young, played by Hugh O’Conor, has been fixated on death and the macabre since childhood. A brilliant chemist with a sharp mind, he secretly dreams of poisoning as many people as he can and studies ways to do it. In adolescence, he poisons a schoolmate to win the attention of a girl who was seeing him, leaving the other boy ill rather than dead, while Graham’s conversations with his date spill vivid, graphic imagery of deadly car accidents. He also devours a graphic comic-book account of a wartime act in which the Dutch Resistance killed a German army camp by poisoning their water supply with thallium, feeding his already chilling fantasies.

Full summary

The whole story of The Young Poisoner’s Handbook, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Box Office

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook grossed $536,825 worldwide.

1995 box office

Worldwide gross

$536.8K

US & Canada
$536.8K
Videos

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Young Poisoner’s Handbook.

Young Poisoners Handbook trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Young Poisoner’s Handbook?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays the main character Graham Young?

Cars

Cars in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook

7 cars on screen, including the 1966 Morris 1100 MkI and the 1968 Volkswagen 1300 Typ 1.

All 7 cars
  • 1966 Morris 1100 MkI in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook 1966 Morris 1100 MkI Important role
  • 1968 Volkswagen 1300 Typ 1 in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook 1968 Volkswagen 1300 Typ 1 Minor role
  • 1964 Bedford CA Mk3 in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook 1964 Bedford CA Mk3 Background role
  • 1961 Foden S21 in The Young Poisoner’s Handbook 1961 Foden S21 Background role
Details

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook Also Known As

9 alternative titles, including “少年落毒事件簿” and “グレアム・ヤング毒殺日記”.

Also known as
  • 少年落毒事件簿
  • グレアム・ヤング毒殺日記
  • Le Manuel d'un jeune empoisonneur
  • Il manuale del giovane avvelenatore
  • Den unge giftmördarens handbok
  • Das Handbuch des jungen Giftmischers
  • O Livro Secreto do Jovem Envenenador
  • Egy fiatal méregkeverő kézikönyve
  • Настольная книга молодого отравителя

Seen The Young Poisoner’s Handbook?

FAQ

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Young Poisoner’s Handbook, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Young Poisoner’s Handbook?

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook runs 1 hour 39 minutes (99 minutes).

When was The Young Poisoner’s Handbook released?

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook was released on January 20, 1995.

Who directed The Young Poisoner’s Handbook?

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook was directed by Benjamin Ross.

More films by Benjamin Ross

Who is in the cast of The Young Poisoner’s Handbook?

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook stars Hugh O'Conor as Graham Young, Arthur Cox as Ray and Antony Sher as Dr. Ernest Zeigler, among 30 credited actors.

How much did The Young Poisoner’s Handbook make at the box office?

The Young Poisoner’s Handbook grossed $536,825 worldwide.

Does The Young Poisoner’s Handbook have a post-credit scene?

No. The Young Poisoner’s Handbook has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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