Senseless

Darryl Witherspoon is an economics student at Stratford University who lacks financial security. He competes against a wealthy nemesis and his best friend, a straight-edge punk rocker with a hockey scholarship, as he scrambles to get ahead. To survive, he donates four pints of blood in one day (playing a different character each time) and four vials of sperm in the same day.

Darryl enters a competition where the winner earns a high-paying Wall Street job. The prize represents his chance to escape poverty and change his future. The competition becomes a central focus of his life as he invests hope in the outcome.

Scott Thorpe, Darryl's wealthy nemesis, also enters the competition, raising the stakes and highlighting their class differences. The rivalry between them intensifies as both seek the same coveted prize. The dynamic foreshadows the challenges Darryl will face.

Darryl signs up for a high-paying experiment to test a drug that supposedly enhances the five senses. He impresses the supervisor, Mr. Tyson, and even earns a place on the hockey team as a goalie. Dr. Thomas Wheedon explains that the drug will affect senses in stages, with only four working at a time while it clears from his system.

After taking an extra dose one night, Darryl experiences unpredictable side effects as his senses misalign. Dr. Wheedon clarifies that only four senses can operate at once until the drug leaves his body. The setback marks the first major hurdle in his ascent.

Tim LaFlour grows worried that Darryl is on heroin as he spirals from the sensory disruptions. Darryl loses his sense of sight during a hockey game, complicating his interactions with teammates and opponents. In a moment of confusion, he confesses love to his girlfriend’s father, whom he mistakenly believes is his girlfriend.

Darryl is invited to a basketball game to impress a client, but his impaired senses make him awkward and slapstick on the court. Despite his missteps, the client sees his humor and signs a contract with the company. The incident underscores how his talents, not just his mistakes, shape his future.

Darryl asks Tim to help him study for the next day’s interview. Meanwhile, Scott studies with his rich father's employees, answering a question correctly but without understanding why. The indecisive moment sets the stage for a pivotal test of true understanding.

The drug leaves Darryl’s system and all five senses return to normal. He approaches the interview with renewed clarity, no longer relying on artificial enhancement. The stage is set for a fair competition of wits.

During the interview, it comes down to Darryl and Scott. Scott knows the answer but cannot explain the reasoning, while Darryl steps in with the correct explanation and secures the junior analyst position. He also admits he cheated by taking the experimental drug, which triggers further consequences.

Mr. Tyson convenes a meeting to decide Darryl’s fate. He reveals his own start in the mail room and proposes a one-year mail-room assignment as a route to the job, effectively offering a probationary path rather than a quick promotion. The moment reframes what success means in the company.

The story skips forward a year. Darryl asks his mother to move into a deluxe apartment, signaling a dramatic change in his financial status and lifestyle. The montage implies his ascent within Smythe-Bates, despite the earlier confession.

Darryl enters the Smythe-Bates building on his first day in the mail room, greeted by a familiar-looking doorman. The scene closes the loop, showing him at the start of the path Tyson described. The film ends with Darryl stepping into the next phase of his career.