By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
When it comes to science, moviegoers are willing to forgive some fudging of, say, the laws of thermodynamics or sound in space, but we know it’s all Hollywood magic. Yet there’s one myth that has persisted for decades, and Lucy, the Scarlett Johansson sci-fi action movie, puts it front and center: humans only use 10 percent of their brain. While the Luc Besson film pushed the myth to its breaking point, it managed to take root in pop culture because, like a spaceship going at the speed of light, or gigantic sea monsters able to exist without collapsing on themselves, this is a myth that deep down, we want to be true.
The Myth Of The True Potential Of The Human Brain
The origin of the 10 percent of the brain myth is unknown, though it could date back to the late 19th century and the origins of neurology. Unable to get a clear picture of the human brain using the technology of the time, early researchers would have only been able to view a fraction of the cells that make up the organ, which could result in the thought that we only use 10 percent of it. What Lucy and the similar drug-fueled superpower movie Limitless put forth is similar to the early self-help gurus of the roaring 20s, who talked about the unlimited potential inside every human.
Thinking of the time was that average humans only used a percentage of their brain, which means, by reading their books and listening to their talks, you weren’t average, you were special, and you used more of your mental power than those other peasants. If that sounds a lot like social media influencers today, that’s because everything’s already happened before, though, despite the basis coming from a myth designed to promote grifters, Lucy is still an original sci-fi action film worth watching today.
Lucy Was A Massive Success
Lucy starts as a fairly normal movie, with Johansson’s Lucy forced to smuggle drugs that, when accidentally released in her stomach, start unlocking her brain’s latent power. In real life, accessing 100 percent of your brain at one time is called a seizure, but here, it allows a normal woman access to psychokinetic powers, enhanced speed, strength, and, of course, she knows Kung-Fu. Johansson gets to go full action-star and take down a crime syndicate before the film decides to get really strange in its last act.
Grounding the action and increasing sci-fi elements are Johansson’s effortlessly cool performance, and the dulcet tones of Morgan Freeman, the one man Hollywood studios trust to explain absurd sci-fi plots. Unlike Transcendence, the forgotten Johnny Depp AI film in which he has the same role, Lucy was a hit movie. Bringing in $463 million at the box office, the film was a massive success that easily eclipsed its $40 million budget.
The appeal of Lucy is simple: it’s a sci-fi action movie starring Scarlett Johansson, who, in the middle of her run as Marvel’s Black Widow, was approaching the peak of her popularity and power in Hollywood. It’s also from Besson, the director of The Fifth Element and The Professional, who could make reading from the phone book look amazing. And after all, who doesn’t want to think that with some hard work and dedication, you could unlock your true potential and become John Wick?
Lucy is currently streaming on Netflix.
