Recasting: Ali Larter's Landman character as Big Nick's ex-wife, with a joke that she would respond less gracefully and might stab him. — Chris Ryan
A prequel about young Nick's football years and entry into Los Angeles policing is proposed after discussing Timothée Chalamet's next role. — Bill Simmons
The Chappelle idea receives immediate objections; the proposer ultimately says he was wrong despite imagining gun training and jokes at Nick’s expense. — Chris Ryan
The existing cast is ultimately retained. — Bill Simmons
A funnier Bosco is proposed, with Flea invoked as a model for someone who could mock Nick. — Chris Ryan
Shane Gillis as Murph is offered as another example of a cop who could supply a few jokes about Nick.
Nicolas Cage would have suited Big Nick in the mid-to-late 2000s but has aged out of that version. — Chris Ryan
Pedro Pascal is a contemporary Big Nick possibility, with physical credibility and apparent behavioral authenticity important to the role. — Chris Ryan
An unspecified Wagner is another possibility; the transcript does not establish a surname. — Chris Ryan
Eddie finding the drugs; writer satire; biohacker relevance; pill color scheme; Carl Van Loon's name; knockoff market; weight of the pill bag; NZT community; the premise and Vern's pitch
Eddie finding the drugs is a classic what-would-you-do dilemma, and most people would try one.
The film stealthily rips on unsuccessful writers; Eddie resembles late-2000s bloggers, and his sci-fi novel as a personal manifesto is bar talk.
The film fits the biohacker era of the last 15 years, now a cottage industry, as the ultimate version of maximizing potential.
When Eddie takes the pill the film turns up the contrast and maybe changes the stock, an effective trick similar to little tricks in Fight Club. — Chris Ryan
Compared with Gordon Willis's Godfather II, it is way too bright.
Carl is short for Carlos, so Van Loon can be imagined as a Mexican businessman, and Mora is a Spanish surname: a win for Latinos. — Shea Serrano
De Niro's one great speech about Eddie's unearned powers is played as a clip; he seems on autopilot, maybe with cue cards, but nails it.
A Limitless knockoff market of fake supplements and YouTube videos, like cure-all CBD pitches at a flea market, could also count as aged the worst.
The weight of the pill bag found in the oven ages well, as do clever small setups like the stove search and Vern's line that the pill works better if you're already smart; taking it would just mean tweeting faster. — Shea Serrano
Discovering the NZT community, with other users dead and the realization that Atwood is on NZT, is effective because the film doesn't belabor it. — Chris Ryan
The premise ages great every year, and Vern's NZT pitch is the best: no notes. — Chris Ryan
"Why can't you die from a stroke like everyone else?"; "You're a flea. You're a blip."; "I could kill an ordinary person. I could kill a hundred ordinary people."
Nominated lines: 'why can't you die from a stroke like everyone else?', 'you're a flea, you're a blip', the exchange 'I'm going to kill him / you can't kill a president / he's not a president, he's an ordinary person, I could kill an ordinary person, I could kill a hundred ordinary people', and then the speech.
'You're a flea, you're a blip' is loved for being so insulting, and the clip runs through 'you're nobody', 'I'm not nobody', 'you're lint' and 'you're a freak'; a host tells Sean never to say that to anyone.
Replies that he says it to the staff every morning, looking everyone directly in the eye and telling Craig he is lint. — Sean Fennessey
Hoffman, Reid, Stormare, Knox Harrington’s actor and Gilmore open a particularly deep candidate field. — Chris Ryan
The limo driver’s brief, forceful entrance earns a nomination and a comparison with Spinal Tap.
Flea and the musician transcribed as Amy Man are mentioned; Flea is criticized as too cartoonish, while Huddleston is praised as funny. — Sean Fennessey
Hoffman is selected for playing an unusually different comic register in each scene.
Brandt’s thigh-slapping response to Bunny and repeated wonderful-woman description are praised.
Brandt’s anxious protection of the plaques differs from his palpable tension in the limousine.
Stormare’s reputation from this film and Fargo is acknowledged, but Hoffman is preferred. — Chris Ryan
Turturro and Knox Harrington’s actor fit one participant’s heat-check definition without being that participant’s favorite performances.
Jesus feels more continuously present than his few scenes because of the bowling introduction’s lasting imagery.
Gazzara quickly communicates Treehorn’s slick, sinister Malibu wealth; the sheriff’s Chinatown-like speech also receives praise.
Hoffman is the final declared selection, with numerous honorable mentions.
