The article explores the classic films that influenced "The Invite," Olivia Wilde's acclaimed relationship comedy starring herself alongside Seth Rogen, Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz. Beyond its direct source material, the Spanish-language film "The People Upstairs," the piece highlights several older films whose staging, tone or themes shaped Wilde's approach, with the director having spoken openly about some of these inspirations.

Among the films cited are Sidney Lumet's "12 Angry Men" (1957), praised for its claustrophobic single-set staging and tension-building; Mike Nichols' "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966), a stage-to-screen adaptation about two couples whose night together unravels into marital dysfunction, which Wilde has directly credited as a major influence; and "The Graduate" (1967), though the article's discussion of this and further entries was not fully available.