MovieChat Forums > Limitless (2011) Discussion > The only way this movie is intelligent

The only way this movie is intelligent

posted 4 years ago by avortac4 (3453)
4 replies | jump to latest

Let's say the drug doesn't ACTUALLY work as the movie says it does. This would actually explain SO much.

If we presume the drug just gives everyone an ILLUSION they're really intelligent, and perhaps hallucinations, and practically forces the user to make bad decisions..

..but the movie keeps this truth a secret, making the audience believe the drug actually works as it's supposed to, then we can get an actually intelligent movie that pokes fun of the stupidity and gullibility of the audience.

This way, the movie would be really intelligent - actually just showing pathetic drug users that live in delusion + hallucination + are forced to make bad decisions, but the drug users themselves think they're 'enhanced' and more intelligent (and in reality, of course, aren't)..

..wouldn't this make not only more sense, but also make the movie deeper, more profound and intelligent, and actually give a powerful 'don't do drugs'-message?

[–] arflexit (2376) 4 years ago

Actually I agree, that would make for such a more interesting and profound impact of the story. The idea this film presents (like the film Lucy but not quite as bad as that film) is that human minds are a limited capacity and that there is some secret magic formula to 'unlock' the brain's full potential. That is not how the brain or consciousness works. We do NOT use 10% of our brain as the false cliche suggest we use 100% of our brain but most of it goes to automatic functions (such as maintaining blood pressure, reflexes, etc). So the fantasy that some magic pill is just going to 'make you smarter' I find almost insulting to the complexity and beauty of the human mind; and a lazy man's fantasy they will get smarter without putting in the hard work.

So I really like the idea that the drug didn't actually make him super smart it just got him high and he was having delusions of grandeur combined with hallucinations leading him into confrontation with shady drug dealers, etc. Talk about a twist ending that would really be a kick in the gut.

[–] ExTechOp (2742) 4 years ago

I agree that would make a GOOD movie, but it's not THIS movie.

A placebo version would play differently and "feel" different to the audience, in my opinion.

To me, it's like suggesting "Star Wars" would be better as hard sci-fi along the lines of "Babylon 5." You could make that film, but it wouldn't be "Star Wars."

While I'm on the subject, I take issue with the "10% myth" being essential to the film's actual mechanics. The 10% thing was only stated by Vernon, who's (A) not that bright to begin with and (B) a drug pusher.

That may be a distinction that makes no difference, I realize, because of the general public's bellef in the 10% myth. I only make a point of it because this film's appeal, at least to me, is the notion that we can, in fact, "amp up" our brains. I haven't ever done it, but I've heard stimulants like Adderall have similar effects - it's not so much "accessing 100% of our brains" as just working faster. Genius, on most IQ tests, is first and foremost a test of brain processing speed, more than capacity.

[–] Moonglum9 (10711) 3 years ago

Well it took me 6 hours to read your post, so I guess that I would score pretty low on those fancy smartness level tests.

[–] 123Guy (6161) 3 years ago

INTERNET: the land of "let's REWRITE movies because we have a place to post it"

It's "Fiction". Let it be fictional.
I wasn't looking for (or needing) and anti drug message from entertainment movies, and no one should be. People that only use 5% of their brain already know to not do drugs.