Scream 4:
8/10
Well, that was quite a return to form. After a decent but ultimately subpar third installment, Scream 4 returns to the vibe that I loved about the first two.
The film-within-a-film opening was inspired (and I loved the cameos), the humour was well-managed once again, and the kills were executed (pardon the pun) effectively.
One little thing I didn't love was the police officer's "**** Bruce Willis" before he died. That was a rare case of this movie not applying a humorous element as well (I mean, it wouldn't be out of place in a Scary Movie death scene). But that's just a minor gripe in an otherwise brilliant film.
I really enjoyed the various homages to the original movie too, and how they were ultimately subverted (like the girl crawling under the garage door, the apparent character similarities that were then flipped around).
As for Jill, I loved her as the killer (she's second only to Mrs Loomis). Her twisted motivation, to be the new Sidney, was a nice angle and the scene of her injuring herself is obviously classic. The final shot of the movie is striking, with a reporter hailing Jill as "a hero straight from the movies" as the camera focuses on her dead face.
As said, Scream 4 is well and truly a return to form imo, and if it is indeed the final installment to the movie canon, it's ended on a high as far as I'm concerned.
Rankings:
1. Urban Legend (9/10)
2. Scream 2 (9/10)
3. Scream (8/10)
4. Scream 4 (8/10)
5. The Descent (8/10)
6. Scream 3 (7/10)
7. Friday the 13th (7/10)
8. House of Wax (6.5/10)
9. I Know What You Did Last Summer (5/10)
10. Black Christmas (5/10)