Most of the movie takes place inside Joel Barish's head as he struggles to undo a decision to erase his memories of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski. The operation, headed by the firm Lacuna, Inc, succeeds until an impulsive decision leads Joel to a train station where he meets Clementine—who also had her memories erased—again.
These erasures remove the entirety of their bond, including its successes and failures. When the characters meet each other again, they are two people starting from scratch, unaware that they are caught in a loop—a repeat performance of their first glorious, disastrous relationship. The only record they have of their time together is archived by Lacuna, who have audio tapes of their pre-procedure interviews and sessions. The empty cassette case in this poster represents the gap between beginning and end that needs to be filled, despite the pain of the memories, for one to truly move forward.
