Underrated Sci-Fi Movie Starring Bradley Cooper Surprise Drops on Streaming

Those looking for a sci-fi fix are in for a treat, as an underrated movie featuring Bradley Cooper is now available to stream. Limitless, which came out in 2011, is currently on Prime Video. In the film, Cooper portrays Eddie Morra, a struggling writer whose life dramatically changes after he takes NZT-48, a drug that significantly enhances his brain power, allowing him to accomplish anything from writing a book to making large sums of money at the stock market. Robert De Niro co-stars as Carl Van Loon, a businessman who takes Eddie under his wing after seeing what Eddie is capable of while on the drug.

Limitless was one of Cooper’s first major starring roles after his big breakout in The Hangover. The film earned generally positive reviews, with most of the praise going towards Cooper’s performance and director Neil Burger’s energetic style. It was also successful at the box office, grossing $161.8 million worldwide against a production budget of $27 million.

Despite the reception, Limitless never received a theatrical sequel. Instead, a spin-off TV show was produced. The series takes place after the film’s events, and Cooper reprised his role of Eddie in four episodes. Jake McDorman stars as Brian Finch, who becomes the latest person to experiment with NZT-48. The show received somewhat mixed reviews and was cancelled after a single season.

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Cooper’s career took off in a different direction following Limitless, as he quickly established himself as an awards season darling with a string of Oscar-nominated performances in films like Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and American Sniper. He also made a name for himself as a director, helming acclaimed dramas A Star is Born and Maestro. As such, Limitless may not be the first film that comes to mind when one thinks of Cooper, but it’s still worth checking out. Not only is it an entertaining sci-fi thriller, it’s interesting to go back to one of Cooper’s earliest star vehicles as he was trying to showcase his range beyond raunchy comedies. Limitless was one of the films that proved he could be a leading man.

Limitless is a pleasantly unexpected addition to Prime’s lineup this month. It was not one of the films listed when Amazon announced new titles earlier this week. March seems to be the month for Prime to spotlight underrated movies from the 2010s, as the comedy Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is also coming to the service. Those in the mood for more sci-fi after watching Limitless can also check out J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 on Prime.

Have you seen Limitless? Are you planning on checking it out on Prime this month? Let us know in the comments!