Senseless

As Darryl Witherspoon (Marlon Wayans) navigates his modest existence as an economics student at Stratford University, he finds himself constantly outmatched by his affluent adversaries, including Scott Thorpe (David Spade), and his own straight-edge punk rocker best friend Tim LaFlour (Matthew Lillard), who boasts a hockey scholarship. With the deck stacked against him, Darryl resorts to unconventional means to get by, such as donating four pints of blood in one day and playing multiple roles to scrape together a living.

When a chance to win a high-stakes Wall Street job presents itself, Darryl jumps at the opportunity, only to have his dreams dashed when Scott also throws his hat into the ring. In a last-ditch effort to gain an edge, Darryl participates in a cutting-edge experiment that enhances his five senses. The results are nothing short of astonishing, as he impresses the competition's supervisor, Mr. Tyson (Rip Torn), and even lands a spot on the university's hockey team as a goalie.

However, things quickly take a turn for the worse when Darryl becomes addicted to the experimental drug and experiences unpredictable side effects. His friend Tim becomes increasingly alarmed by Darryl's erratic behavior, mistakenly believing he's hooked on heroin. As Darryl struggles to regain control of his senses, his luck takes a drastic turn for the worse.

In a bizarre sequence of events, Darryl loses his sight during a critical hockey game and mistakes Mr. Tyson, his potential love interest, for his girlfriend. The humiliation is compounded when he botches a basketball game in front of a crucial client, causing chaos and confusion. Yet, somehow, this catastrophe ultimately leads to a stroke of genius, as the client finds Darryl's antics endearing and decides to sign on with the company.

Through it all, Darryl's predicament serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of relying on shortcuts and quick fixes, highlighting the importance of perseverance and humility in the face of adversity.

As the narrative unfolds, Darryl turns to his trusted friend Tim for assistance in preparing for the forthcoming interview, seeking to bolster his chances of success. Meanwhile, Scott is afforded access to the expertise of his wealthy father's employees as he studies for the same test, effortlessly answering one question with a correct response, yet displaying a mystifying inability to grasp the underlying reasoning. The following day, Darryl's system having cleared of the experimental drug's influence, his five senses regain their normal functioning. During the interview, the competition narrows to Darryl and Scott, who is posed the very same question he encountered during his study session the previous evening. He responds correctly once more, but when probed for an explanation, Scott remains inexplicably oblivious. It is at this juncture that Darryl intervenes, providing a lucid justification for the correct answer, ultimately securing the position of junior analyst at Smythe-Bates. However, in his subsequent remarks, he candidly confesses to having exploited the experimental drug's abilities to achieve success, prompting an ensuing deliberation regarding his fate.

In response, Mr. Tyson, a seasoned veteran of the organization himself having begun his career in the mail room, advises Darryl that he too should start at the bottom, serving a one-year stint in the mail room before being considered for promotion to junior analyst. The narrative then fast-forwards a year, revealing Darryl's growing ambitions as he requests his mother relocate to a luxurious apartment complex. As the film draws to a close, Darryl arrives at the Smythe-Bates building on his inaugural day, greeted by a familiar face in the form of the doorman (Sherman Hemsley), whose presence serves as a poignant reminder of the full circle he has traversed since his initial interview.