Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Limitless

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • 1h 45m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
630K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,202
202
Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, and Johnny Whitworth in Limitless (2011)
Limitless -- Super Bowl Spot
Play trailer0:33
21 Videos
99+ Photos
Sci-FiThriller

A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.

  • Director
    • Neil Burger
  • Writers
    • Leslie Dixon
    • Alan Glynn
  • Stars
    • Bradley Cooper
    • Anna Friel
    • Abbie Cornish
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    630K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,202
    202
    • Director
      • Neil Burger
    • Writers
      • Leslie Dixon
      • Alan Glynn
    • Stars
      • Bradley Cooper
      • Anna Friel
      • Abbie Cornish
    • 584User reviews
    • 401Critic reviews
    • 59Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos21

    Super Bowl Spot
    Trailer 0:33
    Super Bowl Spot
    Limitless
    Trailer 2:33
    Limitless
    Limitless
    Trailer 2:33
    Limitless
    "What Is It Called?" from Limitless
    Clip 0:59
    "What Is It Called?" from Limitless
    "Wake Up Call" from Limitless
    Clip 0:48
    "Wake Up Call" from Limitless
    "Tan Coat/Phone Call" from Limitless
    Clip 1:06
    "Tan Coat/Phone Call" from Limitless
    "Subway Fight" from Limitless
    Clip 1:03
    "Subway Fight" from Limitless

    Photos159

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 154
    View Poster

    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Bradley Cooper
    Bradley Cooper
    • Eddie Morra
    Anna Friel
    Anna Friel
    • Melissa
    Abbie Cornish
    Abbie Cornish
    • Lindy
    Robert De Niro
    Robert De Niro
    • Carl Van Loon
    Andrew Howard
    Andrew Howard
    • Gennady
    Johnny Whitworth
    Johnny Whitworth
    • Vernon
    Tomas Arana
    Tomas Arana
    • Man in Tan Coat
    Robert John Burke
    Robert John Burke
    • Pierce
    Darren Goldstein
    Darren Goldstein
    • Kevin Doyle
    Ned Eisenberg
    Ned Eisenberg
    • Morris Brandt
    T.V. Carpio
    T.V. Carpio
    • Valerie
    Richard Bekins
    Richard Bekins
    • Hank Atwood
    Patricia Kalember
    Patricia Kalember
    • Mrs. Atwood
    Cindy Katz
    Cindy Katz
    • Marla Sutton
    Brian Anthony Wilson
    Brian Anthony Wilson
    • Detective
    • (as Brian A. Wilson)
    Rebecca Dayan
    Rebecca Dayan
    • Rebecca Dayan
    Ann Marie Green
    • Financial Newscaster
    Damali Mason
    • Female Cop
    • Director
      • Neil Burger
    • Writers
      • Leslie Dixon
      • Alan Glynn
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews584

    7.4630.1K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    7cuppa_tetleys

    So much potential wasted here, but so much fun it excuses it

    Limitless is based by a book of the same name and any problems I have with the film are due to the translation of book to film. Primarily, it's clear that the book is written in the first person as their is an ongoing narration throughout the film of the main character commenting on events and giving exposition - which does the job in telling the story effectively, combined with the visuals (which are amazing), it does become irritating and at times unnecessary.

    My main problem with the film, however, is directly linked to why I liked it so much. Due to being based on a long book that would take hours and hours of reading, the story gets condensed and sped up, so plot points fly by one after the other and no time is wasted on anything useless which keeps it fast paced and engaging. However, this also means that problems and events that should have had more time get roughly 10 minutes to begin and conclude, downplaying their significance somewhat. Problems that seem dire get dealt with very quickly, seemingly with no side effects. The plot also lacks an overriding goal - a destination, it seems as if Eddie (Bradley Cooper) just takes things as they come rather than have an overall game plan, and it leaves you a bit dissatisfied in places as it feels it lacks direction, where in the book it would be more spread out and natural. OK, bad's out the way - now the good! The film is very well written; the script is very tight and has clearly been cut down for efficiency yet still natural and the acting is brilliant also. All characters are very convincing and Bradley Cooper's intelligent Eddie is so entertaining, convincing and endearing that you eventually love the character and rejoice every time he has to explain anything to the normal humans.

    Some of the action scenes are a bit naff, but otherwise very well done, but besides Bradley Cooper's performance, I'd say the main prize goes to the director - Neil Burger. My hat goes off to him for his visual imagination - his transitions between different locations are the best I've ever seen in a film and it really encapsulates Eddie's disorientation when he blacks out on and off. The effects used to illustrate the effects of the drug are also brilliant; sometimes you forget the voice over and just get lost in the special effects - such as the one in the trailer when the letters fall from the ceiling. The only thing I would complain about is the fact that he often uses extreme close ups excessively and it gets a bit distracting, but nothing compared to how compelling this film was. It was clever, but not genius, it was thrilling, but not mind blowing - it was just a lot of fun. Definitely worth seeing if you're an aspiring director or just a person with eyes in their face.
    8imdb2-556-923983

    Original, creative, enjoyable

    I feel it needs to be said that this is a superhero movie. We've had a myriad of superhero movies in recent years, but only a handful (e.g. the first Iron Man) were films where it seemed to me cast and crew were not fast asleep but actually cared about what they were doing. This is definitely an example of that rare breed. It is one of those movies where you spend the entire length of the film NOT noticing that it is a superhero movie, and quite possibly this will not dawn on you even on the ride home, because the subject matter is handled seriously: the characters are 3d life-like people; the plot has life-like complexity; there is ambiguity and room for interpretation. Somebody cared. I had my doubts, going in, whether Bradley Cooper can pull this one off. He sure can. Other actors are also at the top of their game. (I don't feel I need to pick out De Niro in particular, here.)

    So, the good: Original, creative writing. Original, creative, beautiful cinematography. Original, creative direction. Interesting throughout. Believable, except when it isn't trying to be. Good pacing. Well acted.

    The bad: Some scenes stretch credulity. Most by just a little. The fore-last scene is over the top. I loved it. (My wife said: "They're trying to pull a Tarrantino. Right?" and they were.) I can't blame anyone who says this scene ruined the movie for him. It isn't believable. It isn't consistent with the rest. But it's definitely where the roller-coaster that is this movie is at its most extreme. By contrast, the last scene left me with a feeling of something missed. It's like the script saves the best for the sequel.

    So, unfortunately, this movie doesn't have an ending that makes you forgive it for everything else. Quite on the contrary. It just happens to be so good that I was willing to forgive it its bad ending.
    gradyharp

    Writer's Block: Two Forms

    LIMITLESS is a film that you want to see succeed - an idea with 'limitless' possibilities, a setting that involves Wall Street (part of our core issue of economic chaos), some interesting camera work, and a a script that likes to make puns. The problems with the film is that is underdeveloped: main characters are rather two dimensional, cameo characters are walk-on parts without much purpose, and the script, such as it is, relies on voice-over cop out instead of intelligent dialogue.

    Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper attempting to break away from his guy roles in road show movies) is a wannabe writer - a man who has been attempting to write a novel for years but has not achieved one word on a page. He lives off his girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) who finally gives up on his mess of a life. Eddie moves into a filthy flat and he takes on the appearance of a street person until he encounters his ex-wife's (Anna Friel) brother Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who gives Eddie a pill called NZT, a medication that is purportedly able to make the brain use 100% of its capacity (fragments of memory, encountered headlines, books slightly read etc all become immediately available to the 'patient'). Eddie, seeing his life going down the toilet, takes the pill and suddenly becomes multilingual, able to figure out number sequences at the gambling table, not only start but finish his novel, etc: in other words, a genius - for the 24 hour duration of the pill's effect. His changed life introduces him to, of course, the stock market where he makes it so big that he garners the attention of major player Carl Van Loon (Robert DeNiro) - along with the people involved with the now murdered Vernon who want the drug back: evil Gennady (Andrew Howard) and his thugs (Eddie Fernandez and Ray Siegle) a strange 'man in a tan coat' (Tomas Arana) et al. Eddie struggles through the transition, sells his novel, wins Lindy back, and some years later is running for New York Senator on his way to the Presidency of the United States. And that of course leads to the messy ending that began the film.

    Based on the novel 'The Dark Fields' by Alan Glynn, the screenplay (full of holes perhaps due to the same writer's block as the main character's) is by Leslie Dixon and the film is directed by Neil Burger, a man with some creative ideas who concentrates on gimmicks more than plot and character development. And it does have some dazzling visual effects sequences, courtesy of Joe Willems, cinematographer and Connie Brink, Special Effects Coordinator. It is an obvious attempt to compete with the fast action films that make so much box office money, but it is flimsy and may be better off in the DVD category - a category in which it landed early for obvious reasons.

    Grady Harp
    8TourettesPersonal

    His Intelligence Has Its Limits

    A pill can make you smart is indeed an interesting concept but what is more interesting is the directing. It's not an ordinary thriller movie. The director gave a lot of style in this movie to make it more exciting. It definitely works and the movie is limitlessly entertaining. There are some plot holes that the filmmakers doesn't intend to fix it but still it's worth watching.

    The movie is of course about an intellectual pill. It's intriguing to know what's the side effects of it. Well, it's quite fun to know what's going to happened to the protagonist but the movie's smartness isn't very limitless. There are massive plot holes in here. There are also some confusion in this.

    If there is something limitless in here then it's the entertainment quality. Neil Burger gave a lot of style and ridiculousness in this film. The editing was quite fast and fun. The zooming in through places is amazing. The soundtrack and the music score does perfectly fit in every scene. The performances were good. Bradley Cooper is an entertaining actor but he had some weaknesses in serious scenes like crying or being scared. Robert De Niro only shows up in times but you know him, he is just being himself and there is nothing wrong with that.

    Overall the movie is ridiculously fun. The movie is no cliché, it's all unique by so many reasons including the trippy, vertigo, and zooming in style. It's intriguing, it's fast, and it's smart at times. "Limitless" is another movie that has merits that ignore the flaws. It's just a non-stop entertaining solid flick.
    8deborapr87

    Definitely a fun movie!

    If you've ever found yourself staring into nothingness, wondering why you couldn't muster even a hair of energy to get up and do something, then you're going to find this movie highly satisfying. Limitless takes you on a ride... and that's not an exaggeration. The computer graphics create a glimpse into what it would actually feel like to be a "super-you." The writers also did a great job of creating a character that from the start... pretty much charms your pants off. Bradley Cooper actually surprised me. I never thought he was a bad actor, but he was able to honestly portray a guy that had absolutely nothing going for him and became a "somebody." The movie graphics, plot, and main actors (well, DeNiro, Cooper, and Johnny Whitworth) were all intriguing. It's not just a movie about what crazy things some drug can make you do... it creates a discussion within each of us, "What if you could unlock all the potential of YOUR mind, who would you be?" Now the downsides... some of the supporting actors were very weak. Also, there were some scenarios that went off the deep end but actually had the audience laughing hysterically so it wasn't exactly a bad thing. If you thought you'd get a deep or scientific explanation for the drug... don't hold your breath. Thankfully the plot was engaging enough that you didn't really care. The movie had some interesting ideas but some that I especially loved were the ones about identity, and about taking something to make yourself better and whether that meant you were actually you or an altered you. Does it matter even? One last thing I gotta say though, the one guy, Johnny Whitworth, did a really great job. I hope he gets some major roles in the future because I think he's very talented.

    I'd definitely recommend watching this movie. If only just for the ridiculous scene with the skates. Hilarious.

    More like this

    In Time
    6.7
    In Time
    Looper
    7.4
    Looper
    Source Code
    7.5
    Source Code
    Limitless
    7.6
    Limitless
    I, Robot
    7.1
    I, Robot
    I Am Legend
    7.2
    I Am Legend
    The Butterfly Effect
    7.6
    The Butterfly Effect
    Oblivion
    7.0
    Oblivion
    Hancock
    6.4
    Hancock
    The Hangover
    7.7
    The Hangover
    Edge of Tomorrow
    7.9
    Edge of Tomorrow
    War Dogs
    7.1
    War Dogs

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Bradley Cooper's father was ill with terminal cancer during the filming of this movie, and Cooper was accordingly relieved that the movie was shot in his hometown of Philadelphia so that he could check on his father every day.
    • Goofs
      In the cafeteria scene, when Eddie wants a loan of $100,000, he reveals that he quintupled his money four days in a row. Some scenes before, he started his investment with $800. Quintupled four times, that totals $500,000. So, why does he need to borrow money?
    • Quotes

      Eddie Morra: Well, in order for a career to evolve, I'm gonna have to move on.

      Carl Van Loon: That you would even think that would only show me how unprepared you are to be on your own. I mean, you do know you're a freak? Your deductive powers are a gift from God or chance or a straight shot of sperm or whatever or whoever wrote your life-script. A gift, not earned. You do not know what I know because you have not earned those powers. You're careless with those powers, you flaunt them, and you throw them around like a brat with his trust-fund. You haven't had to climb up all the greasy little rungs. You haven't been bored blind at the fundraisers. You haven't done the time and that first marriage to the girl with the right father. You think you can leap over all in a single bound. You haven't had to bribe or charm or threat your way to a seat at that table. You don't know how to assess your competition because you haven't competed. Don't make me your competition

    • Alternate versions
      An Unrated Extended Cut makes 27 changes for ~1 minute extra run time. These edits were mainly reverts from not having an R rating for the theatrical release.
    • Connections
      Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.8 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Cicada
      Written by Richard Baluyut, Fontaine Toups and Edward Baluyut

      Performed by Versus

      Courtesy of Merge Records

      By Arrangement with Bank Robber Music

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ23

    • How long is Limitless?Powered by Alexa
    • Is "Limitless" based on a book?
    • Does a drug like NZT really exist?
    • What are the differences between the theatrical cut and the Extended Cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 18, 2011 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official Facebook
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
      • Italian
      • Mandarin
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Sin límites
    • Filming locations
      • Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • Relativity Media
      • Virgin Produced
      • Rogue
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $27,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $79,249,455
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $18,907,302
      • Mar 20, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $161,849,455
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Datasat
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Anna Friel, and Johnny Whitworth in Limitless (2011)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of Limitless (2011) in Australia?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.