Limitless

"What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?"

2011 1h 46m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

🍅

68%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.4

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 11,811🍅68%Rotten Tomatoes●59Metacritic★7.4IMDB · 643,327

ThrillerMysteryScience Fiction

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The life of an unsuccessful writer is transformed by a top-secret 'smart drug' that allows him to use 100% of his brain and become a perfect version of himself. His enhanced abilities soon attract shadowy forces that threaten his new life.

“What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?”

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Cast

Bradley Cooper
Edward 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

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Neil Burger
Writers: Leslie Dixon
Languages: English, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 6.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Neil Burger, shot by Jo Willems. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Tracy Adams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Neil Burger directs. Jo Willems behind the camera. Paul Leonard-Morgan scores. Tracy Adams cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 6.0× over at the box office.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 5 languages: English, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, French.
4Directed by Neil Burger, shot by Jo Willems. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Paul Leonard-Morgan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Tracy Adams shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro and Abbie Cornish carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "What if a pill could make you rich and powerful?".
9IMDB entry: tt1219289 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
1011,811 TMDB user ratings logged — serious cultural footprint.
11Classified under 15 themes, including "new york city", "medicine", "politician", "iq".

The technical file

Cinematography: Jo Willems
Original score: Paul Leonard-Morgan
Editing: Tracy Adams
Production design: Patrizia von Brandenstein
Costume design: Jenny Gering
Makeup / hair: Margot Boccia
VFX supervisor: Nancy St. John
Sound: Lewis Goldstein
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $27,000,000
Box office: $161,900,000
Return: 600% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Limitless (2011)
Rotten Tomatoes: 68% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 59/100
IMDB rating: 7.4/10 · 643,327 votes
MPAA: PG-13

Awards

2 wins & 8 nominations total

Also by

Neil Burger

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Sampson2026-01-01
★ 8/10
A reframing of what life has to offer. While the premise of a drug induced hyper competency seems like it should be the wrong type of inspiration, I couldn't help but feel inspired as I watched Eddie Moira (Bradley Cooper) transform his life. The funny thing about the movie is that a lot of what Eddie did to improve his life could have been done without NZT which hyper stimulated his brain to accomplish the impossible. Many of the things he did to improve his life such as cleaning his apartment, dressing better, or finishing his script probably could've done with some self discipline and inspiration. While I found the concept of NZT interesting and I often wondered how I would handle the the responsibilities and challenges that come with its consumption, I ultimately found the more gnawing question to be about how much more I could be doing with my days and my time. Exploring the possibility of what he could accomplish with focus, drive, and ability makes you reframe what is possible in your own life. It allows you to imagine a higher ceiling to what life has to offer. Overall, an enjoyable movie that gives you a kick in the pants when you're feeling shackled by the drudges of self apathy.

Production companies