Oscars 2021: Explore the nominees, videos, photos, and more.
With the help of a mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain abilities, a struggling writer becomes a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with lots of dangers.

Director:

Neil Burger

Writers:

Leslie Dixon (screenplay), Alan Glynn (novel)
Reviews
Popularity
1,233 ( 216)
2 wins & 8 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bradley Cooper ... Eddie Morra
Robert De Niro ... Carl Van Loon
Abbie Cornish ... Lindy
Andrew Howard ... Gennady
Anna Friel ... Melissa
Johnny Whitworth ... Vernon
Tomas Arana ... Man in Tan Coat
Robert John Burke ... Pierce
Darren Goldstein ... Kevin Doyle
Ned Eisenberg ... Morris Brandt
T.V. Carpio ... Valerie
Richard Bekins ... Hank Atwood
Patricia Kalember ... Mrs. Atwood
Cindy Katz ... Marla Sutton
Brian Anthony Wilson ... Detective (as Brian A. Wilson)
Edit

Storyline

An action-thriller about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100% of his mind. As one man evolves into the perfect version of himself, forces more corrupt than he can imagine mark him for assassination. Out-of-work writer Eddie Morra's (Cooper) rejection by girlfriend Lindy (Abbie Cornish) confirms his belief that he has zero future. That all vanishes the day an old friend introduces Eddie to NZT, a designer pharmaceutical that makes him laser-focused and more confident than any man alive. Now on an NZT-fueled odyssey, everything Eddie's read, heard or seen is instantly organized and available to him. As the former nobody rises to the top of the financial world, he draws the attention of business mogul Carl Van Loon (De Niro), who sees this enhanced version of Eddie as the tool to make billions, but brutal side effects jeopardize his meteoric ascent. With a dwindling stash and hit men who will eliminate him to get the NZT, Eddie must stay wired long enough ... Written by Relativity Media

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

It can solve any problem. It can unlock your potential. But once the world is yours, everyone wants a piece. See more »

Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving a drug, violence including disturbing images, sexuality and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shia LaBeouf was cast as Eddie, but had to drop out after badly injuring his left hand in a car accident in July 2008. See more »

Goofs

Eddie learned how to quintuple his money daily. He decides to borrow $100,000 from a loan shark to speed up the gains. He would have made $100,000 on his own in just over 24 hours if he kept quintupling his money daily. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Eddie Morra: Obviously I miscalculated a few things.
Gennady: [banging door] Eddie! I know you're in there.
Eddie Morra: [a chainsaw revs up] Why is it that the moment your life exceeds your wildest dreams, the knife appears at your back?
Female Computer Voice: The access code you have entered is invalid. The access code you have entered is invalid.
Eddie Morra: Well, I'll tell you one thing... I will never let them touch me.
See more »

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. See more »

Connections

Features The Way of the Dragon (1972) See more »

Soundtracks

This My Club
Written by Reginald Marquis Wilks and Isaac Petit-Frere
Performed by Prophit
Courtesy of Nytcrawlaz Entertainment/Red Square Music LLC
By Arrangement with Shelly Bay Music
See more »

User Reviews

 
His Intelligence Has Its Limits
23 April 2011 | by TourettesPersonalSee all my reviews

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.


153 of 217 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 506 user reviews »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA | Mexico

Language:

English | Russian | Italian | Mandarin | French

Release Date:

18 March 2011 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Dark Fields See more »

Edit

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,907,302, 20 March 2011

Gross USA:

$79,249,455

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$161,849,455
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »

Contribute to This Page



Recently Viewed