Time may yield different feelings, for better or for worse, but my first impression is this:

Scream 4 is the best, most satisfying, most complete Scream movie.

Every film in the series has its drawbacks, but I have no real, substantive issues with 4. Is it leagues above its predecessors? No. It's very much apiece with them and I could never begrudge anyone for ranking the series in almost any order. But, for me, 4 is the sturdiest, most front-to-back well rounded experience.

Sidney is given all the screentime and ass-kicking opportunities she was not afforded in 3. The kills themselves are the exact blend of gnarly and playful that the script demands. The killer reveal rides a solid line between the first two films: thoroughly layered into the screenplay while never tipping over into tiresome obviousness. Can it be predicted? Sure. But a totally unpredicted twist is a one-time deal. I can only be shocked the first go round, every time thereafter needs to hold up as a complete story. A mystery thriller really lives and dies on how thoughtfully the puzzle pieces of its climax are tastefully placed throughout, and Scream 4 gives both of its killers ample screen time to indirectly "explain" themselves, their purpose and their methods before the big finale.

Every Scream film is a very tricky tonal and informational balancing act. Craven and Williamson (and Kruger) mix all their elements differently in each entry, it only makes sense to me that the balance would become more refined as they matured and "made peace", if you will, with the material. 4 is the most assured Scream in that sense. It trusts its characters, it trusts its audience and, most importantly, it trusts itself in a way none of the previous films quite latched onto.

The performances are also pretty great, too. For the first time since the original we have fresh faces who really and truly carry much of the film's weight on their shoulders. Emma Roberts really blossoms in the final stretch once she gets to go full psycho killer. Rory Culkin is a nice little foil for everyone around him and well-utilized archetypical echo of Randy Meeks. The standout though, for me, has to be Hayden Panettiere who performs the living hell out of her role; her wit is razor sharp and she holds nothing back when the film offers her the chance to flex her more emotionally visceral chops later in the game.

Craven's steadied hand guides this one smoothly to the finish. An affectionate love letter to everything that Scream was to him. A triumphant final statement and a career-high button to his work as a master of cinematic horror.