Writing & Culture
01
The iPhone Face and the Evolution of Screen Makeup
[FORM: ESSAY / ACADEMIC CHAPTER]
[ROLE: WRITER]
[STATUS: FORTHCOMING]
[FIELDS: SCREEN MAKEUP / DIGITAL BEAUTY / FILM STUDIES / VISUAL CULTURE / BEAUTY CULTURE / PERFORMANCE / MEDIA STUDIES]
“The iPhone Face and the Evolution of Screen Makeup” is Kelli Reilly's forthcoming chapter for Screen Makeup: Style, Convention, Colour and Concealment (Edinburgh University Press).
The chapter explores how social media, beauty standards, and digital image culture have changed the language of screen makeup, reshaping both contemporary and period storytelling.
Anticipated release: Fall 2026.
02
Look Behind the Look
[FORM: WRITING / VIDEO ESSAY / SCREEN CULTURE]
[ROLE: WRITER / CONTRIBUTOR]
[FIELDS: FILM CRITICISM / VISUAL CULTURE / BEAUTY / COSTUME / MAKEUP / CINEMATOGRAPHY / PRODUCTION DESIGN / PERFORMANCE]
Look Behind the Look is a New York Times Recommended series exploring the visual language of film and the artisans behind it — from beauty, costume, hair, and makeup to cinematography, production design, lighting, performance, and the behind-the-scenes choices that shape what appears on screen.
As a writer and contributor, I approach each film through critical analysis, examining how image-making choices shape character, atmosphere, genre, power, fantasy, desire, and cultural impact.
My work for the series includes pieces on films such as Pretty in Pink, Brazil, Showgirls, Heathers, Chinatown, Purple Rain, Footloose, Girl 6, Less Than Zero, Xanadu, and Casino. My piece on The Bodyguard was featured as part of the series’ New York Times recognition.
03
The Way I Remember It
[FORM: PERSONAL ESSAYS / SUBSTACK]
[ROLE: WRITER]
[FIELDS: MEMORY / MOTHERHOOD / GRIEF / THERAPY / FAMILY / IDENTITY]
The Way I Remember It is my personal Substack about memory, motherhood, grief, therapy, identity, and the unreliable art of remembering.
04
The Official Rio Document
[FORM: FEATURE SCREENPLAY]
[STATUS: IN DEVELOPMENT]
[FIELDS: BELIEF / MEMORY / PERFORMANCE / ESTRANGEMENT / DEVOTION]
After surviving a mass-suicide cult, a man attempts to rebuild his life while grappling with the belief system that once gave his existence meaning. Inspired by the true story of the American religious movement, Heaven’s Gate.
Currently in development and selected for a soon-to-be-announced International Writers' Retreat.