I was thinking about After Hours by Scorsese. You know, it’s one of my favorite movies and it’s very close to what I like to do with my movies, where the main character just walks into a weird story and gets stuck in it. It’s a very simple premise, but then it becomes completely crazy. That’s something I really love.
I always liked the idea of somebody being stuck in a situation where they can't get out. Kafka's The Trial, Buñuel's The Exterminating Angel where people can't leave, and Polanski films like Repulsion or The Tenant – that sense of paranoia and being trapped.
— Martin Scorsese · Criterion Collection 'After Hours' Blu-ray/DVD Special Features - Interview with Martin Scorsese (2004)