Meet writer Michelle Kisner:
To start, please introduce yourself:
My name is Michelle Kisner, and I have been writing about film for about thirteen years. I am a film critic, freelance writer, member of the Michigan Movie Critics Guild, and Rotten Tomatoes verified critic. I also write film and video essays and have contributed to Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Error_4444, Severin, Umbrella, Second Sight, BFI, Kino Lorber, 88 Films, Imprint, and Terror Vision.
What is horror to you, what makes a work of art one in the horror genre?
Horror is a way for society to explore the taboo, whether in subject matter or emotions. Death is something that is hidden away in society, and horror media is a way for artists to examine transgressive topics and make political statements about the world they live in. The best kind of horror is honest about its goals and taps into the darker aspects of the human experience.
What made you want to work in horror?
I have always been drawn to horror films. As a child, I watched tons of them with my dad, who was a huge film buff. When I got older, thanks to a TV/VCR combo in my bedroom and a mom-and-pop video rental store within biking distance, I could explore tons of films on my own, and horror flicks were cheap and plentiful. As an adult, I discovered that my love of film and my love of writing could be combined, and I pursued film criticism as a hobby.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I consume many types of horror media: music, books, comics, and video games, and I feel that grabbing inspiration from various sources makes an artist well-rounded.
What would you like your legacy to be in the genre (or elsewhere)?
My goal in deconstructing films is to highlight lesser-known works and hopefully show readers a different angle they might not have considered in some of their favorite flicks.
What is Women in Horror Month to you and why is it still important this many years later?
Even now, in 2025, femmes are still underrepresented in many internet spaces and the horror scene, so highlighting their work every year spotlights their incredible output.
Who are some of the Women in Horror who you look up to and who do you want to bring attention to in your field or others?
Some writers I highly respect are: Kat Ellinger, Kier-La Janisse, Samm Deighan, Heather Buckley, Heidi Honeycutt, Heather Drain, Jane Gutter, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.
What are you currently working on that you can tell us about?
My most recent horror-related work, the 4K BFI release for Cronos, includes my writing, and I am currently in the research phase for two essays in upcoming Japanese exploitation film releases.
Where can readers keep up with you?
