Title: Girl Internet Show: A Kati Kelli Mixtape
MPA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Kati Kelli
Starring: Kati Kelli
Runtime: 1hr 19 mins

What It Is: Arranged by producers Jane Schoenbrun (We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, I Saw the TV Glow) and Jordan Wippell, we are presented with the hard-hitting work of the late 22-year-old YouTuber, video artist, and comedian Kati Kelli. Kelli is remembered for her unique brand of satirical, silly, camp humor through skits, ramblings, and colorful editing. The mixtape concludes with her first and last official short film.

What We Think: That time during the pandemic revealed a lot about ourselves, and in turn, many of us found ourselves expressing who we are through the lenses of our cameras. Kelli did so with a persona that matches the deadpan bite of the likes of Aubrey Plaza and xXblo0dyxkissxX, but with an added layer of uniquely her weirdo comedy that feels like something you’d naturally find streaming on Adult Swim early in the morning after an ecstasy bender (that is a JOKE). This is to say that consuming Kelli’s work, despite the sad context of her passing, makes you feel a LOT like you’re on drugs—really good drugs. Her unpredictable persona and exaggerated characters, performed through shameless physical comedy, guarantee a good time in the realm of YouTube poop and random humor. It makes me feel all warm and giggly inside, like I’m watching Tim and Eric.

Yes, she’s awkward and scary, and yes, I love it. Although it seems she’s always in character in her videos and is often obnoxious, she does so in a way that also feels very intimate, like you’re being held hostage by how confident and artsy she is. The video formats are relatable; her unhinged filming in her room is much like what any other human does when they eventually play with a camera and end up doing some dumb, meandering shit. In Kelli’s case, thanks to her use of props, costumes, and edits, she does it to be an evil, silly goose. She’s hilarious, and we love it.

I particularly loved two of her videos: the breast milk commercial had me LOLing, and the video of her pretending to cry while peeking out of what looks like her closet—wiping off her runny makeup with a tissue and pointing to it for what felt like hours—had me wondering, “Why do I fucking love this so much?” and “How the fuck have I never heard of Kati Kelli before?”

Our Grade: B+, Kati Kelli’s art is as bombastic as it is hard to describe to anyone who’s never experienced it before. At face value, you might see her as just another “cringe-humor” YouTuber, but her content goes much deeper. I found myself feeling happier and better about myself after watching someone who felt so comfortable and free on camera, and I could sense the vicarious fun she must have had making those videos. “Brave” isn’t the word for Kelli—more like “audacious.” Watching her at her finest in these little videos feels like unlocking that dumb, childish, scandalous part of your brain that you missed when we were all locked away, whether as kids or during the pandemic, and forced to entertain ourselves, collectively using our phones and cameras as tools to express all that fun, silly creativity.

Kati Kelli’s memory helps gestate the freedom to be self-absorbed, inspiring one to be goofy and unabridged. Though her life ended too soon, this ‘mixtape’ is a beautiful way to ensure that her work and memory continue to motivate more scary, silly shenanigans, no matter how crazy it makes us look. If you’re a weird girl, definitely check this one out… or else!