An exciting mystery thriller, with a loser rising to fame & fortune using super drugs

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2016)

Limitless is about a loser named Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) who's life is going nowhere. He is trying to write a book but doesn't get a word on paper after four weeks and when his girlfriend breaks up with him, he is really in the dumps. But then he runs into an old friend who likes him to try a new drug that grant's access to 100% of a persons brain. Eddie is very skeptic but decides to give it a shot because he has nothing to loose. The effect of the drug is immensely powerful: Eddie finishes his manuscript in one sitting, cleans his whole house and picks up a girl in the hallway because he knows exactly what to say. But when the drug wears off, he immediately is his old self again. So he decides to look up his old friend to get some more pills, but then the story takes a turn because he founds out that his old friend has just been murdered in his apartment. It seems Eddie is not the only one interested in the powerful drugs..
The story of Limitless is told in a 'mysterious thriller' way that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the whole 105 minutes that it runs. It is told from the perspective of Eddie so in the beginning your as clueless as he is but more information is revealed as the movie moves on. There are some nice twists on the ride and the ending is very satisfying.
The effects in the movie are also nicely done. When Eddie is high on the pills, the whole movie 'lights up' by using brighter colors so the whole world looks more beautiful. The way Eddie looses track of time and no longer feels in control is also greatly done and reminds me of Requiem for a Dream.
The cast also did a great job. Bradley Cooper is excellent as well as the supporting characters Robert De Niro (as the wealthy businessman Carl van Loon), Abbie Cornish (Eddie's on-off again girlfriend) and Andrew Howard as the criminal who lends Eddie money.
What I didn't like from the money is that some parts of the movie feel disconnected from each other. The transition form Eddie as the no-life writer to his rise to fame goes a little to fast for me. They also could have done more with the addictive nature of the drug and some parts of the story are not explored enough.
That said it is an excellent mystery-thriller that keeps you excited with every twist and turn it takes.