In the Movies

Limitless

Movie Synopsis

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Limitless is a film about a writer (Bradley Cooper) who discovers a pill that allows him to access 100% of his mind, making him almost superhuman. When the movie begins, the main character, Eddie, is a struggling writer who feels as though he is going nowhere in life. Eddie feels as though he has hit rock bottom, until an old friend introduces him to the synthetic drug NZT.

While on NZT, Eddie is able to finish writing his book in mere hours. As he learns that this new drug makes him ultimately “limitless,” he begins learning new languages, as well as everything there is to know about the stock market and finance. This new-found knowledge leads him to rise to the top of the financial world, and become very rich. However, in order to continue using NZT, Eddie steals a large stash of the drug from a friend’s house after he is murdered by people looking for the same drug. At this point, Eddie is completely addicted to NZT, and is unwilling to give it up. He continued using the drug in order to prolong the feelings, behaviors, and benefits associated with NZT.

Portrayal of Addiction

The portrayal of addiction in Limitless is a lot less obvious than in other films. I think this is because the drug portrayed in the film is not actually real. Therefore, the addiction is less apparent. It is for this reason that this movie’s portrayal of addiction was not as hard-hitting for me as it might have been if the drug portrayed had been cocaine or heroin. In addition, given that this drug did not elicit the normal aversive feelings associated with cocaine or heroin, it was easier for me to understand why Eddie continued to take NZT and to rationalize his reasoning for doing so.

Character Reactions

Given that NZT is not what one would call a “normal” drug, the reactions of the characters around the addict were a bit different. Firstly, since the drug did not necessarily negatively impact Eddie’s behavior, it was hard for the individuals in his life to tell that he was taking the drug. Eddie’s girlfriend Lindy is the only actual relationship he has throughout the movie. She does not discover his drug addiction until towards the end of the film, when he shows up at her office displaying extreme signs of withdrawal. She is in shock at his addiction, and the next day leaves him because of it. This is a common reaction when dealing with a significant other suffering from addiction.

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My Opinions

I believe the portrayal of addiction in Limitless is actually very accurate. The character keeps his addiction hidden, and when it does come out to the person he cares about, he promises over and over again that he is going to quit taking the drug, just after a couple more times. It seems as though this is a very accurate portrayal of the cycle of addiction.

For example, we learned in class that addiction involves an intense desire/need for the drug, a high frequency of the behavior, continued use despite negative effects, and multiple attempts to quit unsuccessfully. All of these aspects of addiction are portrayed in the movie. Eddie continues to take the drug NZT even after it causes him to have blackouts where he does not remember anything he did, which even included possibly murdering a woman. Therein also lies the portrayal of continued use despite negative effects. 

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