The rise of internet culture continues to spawn unusual and strange trends. In its early days, it resulted in creepypasta urban legends, while Gen Alpha engages with YouTube and TikTok creators. Amid these changing times, creator Kati Kelli crafted a unique channel. Documented through Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape, the young comedian and performer showcased eccentric taste. Yet, in between sketches and characters built from fashionista tropes, deep anxiety and body dysmorphia pushed into her creation. The resulting movie assembles her works into a portrait of her creativity. It’s not only a brilliant love letter to a creative life and the power of the internet to create connections in the darkest moments.
Girl Internet Show utilizes over a decade of footage to walk us through Kelli’s life. Her site slowly grew, and over the years, she found more unique angles to explore her characters. After Kelli’s tragic passing in 2019, her widower, Jordan Whipple, began crafting the mixtape. With the assistance of Jane Schoenbrun, they built an incredible showcase of Kelli’s digital life. Without telling the story in a straight line, they build in the nervousness and
As Whipple and Schoenbrun build out their depiction of Kati Kelli, the vast library of archival footage proves more than effective at drawing in the audience. Many clips are extremely humorous, allowing Whipple to showcase her talent as a performer and comedian. Her timing is excellent, and she proves exceedingly charismatic throughout the clips.
Navigating the YouTube creator space has always been difficult, but you can feel Kelli working through her bits and timing across the videos. The growth we see would be impressive regardless, but when she begins mixing in questions about body dysmorphia and actively engaging with self-critique, she elevates her channel’s quality. There’s something about being raised in an environment where YouTube is normal. Those denizens of early internet life cannot fully understand what it means to show vulnerability and expose oneself to the world. When she strikes that balance between enigmatic artist, digital native, and brilliant comedian, it’s impossible to hold back the laughter.
It’s impossible to ignore the sadness on the fringes of Girl Internet Show. Whipple and Schoenbrun do an excellent job at creating Kelli’s life via internet clips, but awareness of her loss haunts the movie. That does not make the footage less effective at getting laughs or making points. It just means that we feel the loss even more.
Additionally, Whipple and Schoenbrun turn Kelli’s story into one of internet legend. The Girl Internet Show did not necessarily spread into the mainstream. However, its power for those who found the show should not be underestimated. In many ways, Girl Internet Show perfectly explains the digital world, even five years later. Creators push boundaries, and authenticity speaks to those who find similarities. Ultimately, those who feel the same will find that content, even if it’s not at the time of creation. This means that Kelli can continue to help address the issues in her videos for years.
It’s a perfect story of how the internet, for all its ills, can positively impact the world. It allowed Whipple and Schoebrun to traverse through years of footage. They could track arcs in her performance, bring characters to life, and get inside Kelli’s mind. Girl Internet Show resonates because it’s not just the story of one creator. Many see their loved ones online when birthdays hit when we’re reminded of a picture, or when we visit their pages. For all the negativity we associate with the internet, people like Kelli used it for positive expressions of art and self. Like her, we should take that lesson to heart.
Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape has little in common with traditional biographical documentaries. Yet, at the same time, it proves wildly effective at relaying the humor, subversiveness, and vigor with which Kati Kelli lived her life. It’s difficult to imagine recording one’s most intimate moments for the world to see. Yet that’s a core tenet of art, and Kelli proved herself an artist time and time again.
Alan’s Rating: 9/10Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape is playing at Fantastic Fest 2024. Check out the full Fantastic Fest 2024 lineup here! Read our coverage – reviews, lists, and interviews – here!The post Fantastic Fest: GIRL INTERNET SHOW – A KATI KELLI MIXTAPE – An Exquisite Generational Diary appeared first on Sunshine State Cineplex.