History Film / Limitless

* AppliedPhlebotinum: The NZT-48 pills.
* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: The scene where Eddie speaks Chinese to the waiter at the Chinese restaurant has been heavily criticized as the characters are just speaking gibberish

--> "Thursday I need 20 pills"
--> "Thursday you can go FUCK YOURSELF"

''Limitless'' is a 2011 American techno-thriller film directed by Neil Burger and starring Creator/BradleyCooper, Abbie Cornish and RobertDeNiro. It is based on the 2001 novel ''The Dark Fields'' by Alan Glynn with the screenplay by Leslie Dixon. The film was released in the United States and Canada on March 18, 2011, and in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2011.

* BeingWatched

** Done interestingly since the movie opens InMediasRes: Eddie jumping off the cliff into the sea foreshadows his [[spoiler: apparent]] suicide jump that opens the movie.

* FlippingTheBird: [[spoiler: The loanshark opens Eddie's safe to find severed hands flipping him off.]]
* GoodWithNumbers

* HyperAwareness

** Also [[spoiler: the mook who stalks Eddie for most of the film, threatens his girlfriend and murders two innocent people in broad daylight. But in the end, it was all out of loyalty to his dying boss and he helps Eddie get the NZT back, so all is forgiven.]]

* PhlebotinumOverdose
* PhotographicMemory

** Eddie at least plans to subvert this. But most of the movie's plot centers around him trying to raise the insane amount of money he decides he will need to put his plan into motion and it's never revealed what that plan actually is beyond that (presumably [[spoiler: running for Senate]] is one of the next steps).

* StealthPun: In the third act Eddie is given a package labeled "Hand Delivery to Edward Mazzo". What does the package contain? [[spoiler: The severed hands of his bodyguards.]]

* RansackedRoom: Eddie's apartment gets ransacked and later also his hotel room. That is why he changed to a loft with a high security system.

** Eddie seems to have been gone from RagsToRiches in very short time. But then the CorruptCorporateExecutive cut all his credit. He could have won millions if he would waited, but NZT comes with limited time.

** Though his life goes through hell for a while, Eddie still gets away with removing evidence from the scene of a murder, sleeping with a married woman, cheating on his own girlfriend after they get back together and possibly murdering the girl he cheated with. (he can't remember if he did it, both Eddie and the audience never find out)

* DrugsAreBad: Played with. The movie shows the consequences of abusing the drug in very icky detail that sometimes enters ''Film/RequiemForADream'' territory. But Eddie's much more capable and hyperintelligent when on said drugs, he's trying to quit them that turns things worse, [[spoiler:and it finally turns out he can remain super-smart without taking the drug at all ''or'' he used the intelligence boost to figure out how to make it himself while fixing the downsides]]. Could possibly be a BrokenAesop.

* AwesomenessByAnalysis: What happens when apparently anyone takes a NZT pill. In Eddie's case, he becomes able to connect information within his brain in a way far superior than simple recall. Any new piece of information is connected to the web of knowledge inside his mind, and because it's all connected, he's able to call up any piece of info at any time. Especially when something related to it pops up, making the information useful.

* FatalFlaw: Eddie's {{Pride}} makes him so overconfident in his genius he doesn't ask himself the question most of us are thinking when he first uses NZT : What happens when you run out ?

*** In the official [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/Limitless sequel series it is revealed ]] that not only does Eddie have access to an unlimited supply of NZT but also has a way [[SideEffectsInclude to nullify its harmful aftereffects with a booster shot.]]

*** In the official [[http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/Limitless sequel series it is revealed ]] that not only does Eddie have access to an unlimited supply of NZT but also a way [[SideEffectsInclude to nullify its harmful aftereffects with a booster shot.]]

In 2015 the story received a SequelSeries of the same name, airing on CBS. Cooper reprises his role as Eddie in the pilot and possibly future episodes, but the series focuses on new characters Brian Finch and FBI agent Rebecca Harris. Tropes for the series go [[Series/{{Limitless}} here]].

* DrugsAreBad: Played with. The movie shows the consequences of abusing the drug in very icky detail that sometimes enters ''RequiemForADream'' territory. But Eddie's much more capable and hyperintelligent when on said drugs, he's trying to quit them that turns things worse, [[spoiler:and it finally turns out he can remain super-smart without taking the drug at all ''or'' he used the intelligence boost to figure out how to make it himself while fixing the downsides]]. Could possibly be a BrokenAesop.

* NinetyPercentOfYourBrain: Eddie's initial dealer outright says that "you only use 20% of your brain."
** Possible case of UnreliableNarrator since [[spoiler:the dealer's pitch about it being FDC certified was BS.]]

** There are various treatment methods for cancer and food became incredibly cheap over the past few decades thanks to technology. At the same time, many patients can't afford treatment and many people are starving. Both are a result of political decisions. It's [[FridgeBrilliance quite possible you really need NZT-48 to understand]] that more technology and better treatment methods won't cure cancer or end starvation.

* TheCastShowoff: Bradley Cooper speaking fluent French, which he does in real life.

In 2015 the story will received a SequelSeries of the same name, airing on CBS. Cooper reprises his role as Eddie in the pilot and possibly future episodes, but the series focuses on new characters Brian Finch and FBI agent Rebecca Harris. Tropes for the series go [[Series/{{Limitless}} here]].

In 2015 the story will receive a continuation in a TV SpinOff of the same name. Cooper will reprise his role as Eddie in the pilot and possibly future episodes, but the series will focus on a new character.

** I think the point was he couldn't keep that exponential growth going for very long. It's easy to turn 2 grand into 7.5, just only need to make another 5.5, but to turn 30k into 120k, that's a bit harder.

* ReedRichardsIsUseless: Instead of curing cancer or ending world hunger, most users apply their new smarts for money, political power, or just making their lives better. {{Justified|Trope}} with varying levels of {{With Great Power Comes Great Insanity}} as users like Eddie still make impulsive decisions which can be increased by the drugs giving feelings of invincibility. He does also figure out [[spoiler:a way to keep NZT's properties without needing the drug, and even enhance them.]]
** Eddie at least plans to subvert this. But most of the movie's plot centers around him trying to raise the insane amount of money he decides he will need to put his plan into motion and it's never revealed what that plan actually is beyond that (presumably [[spoiler: running for Senate]] is one of the next steps).
** Eddie also describes an effect of NZT as basically not being allowed to stop pushing for a more immediate form of self-challenging self-expression. This arguably means it would take a rare personality to stick to curing cancer or ending world hunger on NZT long enough to get results unless given reason to. In other words, Reed Richards might not be Useless if he wasn't his own boss.

* PowerUpFood: Well, Power Up Pills, but same difference, right?

* TheLoad: The movie begins with Eddie is a divorced writer who suffers chronic writer’s block and is dumped by his girlfriend Lindy. Then Eddie takes [[AppliedPhlebotinum NZT-48 pills]], a revolutionary new pharmaceutical that allows him to tap his full potential... as TheMillstone.

** Though his life goes through hell for a while, Eddie still gets away with removing evidence from the scene of a murder, sleeping with a married woman, cheating on his own girlfriend after they get back together, possibly murdering the girl he cheated with (he can't remember if he did it, but he was probably there at least), and taking and manufacturing illegal drugs by the end of the film.

** However, in the alternate ending of the film, things are less upbeat. In this ending, it turns out Eddie is still on NZT and his stash isn't going to last forever, which makes Carl's ownership of the supply a lot more threatening in the future. It ends with Eddie telling himself he needs to find a way to get off the drug.