The Return of the Living Dead(1985)

It's 2026 and I went in completely blind and didn't know what to expect. There's no eloquent way to say this, it's simply a really fun zombie thriller that doesn't take itself seriously. Some of the characters are outrageous, others grounded, but they were honestly all likable and the punk rock hoodlums create a funny contrast between the "normal" people who are trying to survive. Dan O'Bannon wrote this (RIP) which surprised me, didn't know he directed. Given my love for Alien and his contributions to it, I may be slightly biased. But this was just pure fun. Also, the soundtrack is badass. Did a little research and this film was unprecedented at the time, introducing new elements that are used now: comedy-horror mash up, punk rock aesthetic, zombies that eat brains, and zombies that are actually intelligent and fast moving (contrast with TWD zombies). Since it's a highly influential film that introduced new concepts, I've tagged it as "foundational". Highly recommend.