Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabelle is one of those movies that sneaks up on you. On the surface, it looks like a fairly standard romantic comedy built around a quirky premise. But beneath the romance is a surprisingly heartfelt story about grief, family, healing and finding the courage to rebuild your life after loss. The film follows Jill (Zoey Deutch), a talented pastry chef still struggling to cope with the death of her younger sister Isabelle. Unable to let go, she continues leaving voicemails on Isabelle’s old phone number as a way of feeling connected to her. What Jill doesn’t know is that the number has been reassigned to Wes (Nick Robinson), a stranger who begins listening to the messages and becomes unexpectedly invested in her story.
From there, the film develops into a romance, but thankfully it never allows that relationship to overshadow Jill’s personal journey. In fact, what makes Voicemails for Isabelle work so well is that the love story feels secondary to Jill’s growth as a person.
Zoey Deutch is excellent in the lead role. Jill is written with enough flaws, humour and vulnerability to feel like a real person rather than a rom-com stereotype. She is angry, lost, funny and deeply heartbroken all at once. Deutch handles every side of the character beautifully, making it easy to understand why she’s struggling to move forward while also wanting her to finally take that next step.
A huge part of that journey involves her career. Jill spends much of the film working under the demanding Chef Bastien, feeling creatively trapped and increasingly frustrated with the direction her life has taken. Some of the movie’s strongest moments come from watching her slowly realize that she’s been living in survival mode ever since Isabelle’s death.
After a series of setbacks, including the fallout from Wes’s secret, Jill finally decides to take a chance on herself. Inspired by a dream she once shared with Isabelle, she leaves the bakery and launches her own food truck business, Jill & Izzy’s. What could have been a simple side plot becomes one of the film’s most meaningful storylines. The business isn’t just a career move. It’s a symbol of Jill finally honouring her sister’s memory while allowing herself to move forward.
The romance between Jill and Wes is charming largely because it never feels forced. Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson have natural chemistry, and their connection develops gradually through shared vulnerability rather than grand romantic gestures. At the same time, it’s obvious from early on that Wes’s decision to hide the truth about the phone number will eventually lead to trouble. The betrayal isn’t particularly surprising, and many viewers will likely predict most of the film’s major twists long before they happen.
That’s perhaps the movie’s biggest weakness. Very little about the story is unexpected. You can see almost every major emotional beat coming from a mile away. Yet somehow, the film still manages to work. The emotional moments land because the characters are likeable and their feelings feel genuine.
There are plenty of funny moments scattered throughout the film, but the heart of the story remains Jill’s relationship with grief. More than once, I found myself getting emotional despite knowing exactly where the story was headed. That’s a testament to both the writing and Deutch’s performance.
Voicemails for Isabelle won’t reinvent the romantic comedy genre, but it doesn’t need to. It’s warm, sincere, funny and surprisingly moving when it wants to be. If you’re looking for a feel-good movie with enough emotional depth to make you laugh and cry in equal measure, this is an easy recommendation.
Predictable but genuinely heartfelt, Voicemails for Isabelle is a comforting watch that reminds us that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting the people we love. Sometimes it simply means finding a new way to carry them with us.
Director: Leah McKendrick
OTT Release Date: June 19, 2026
Streaming On: Netflix
Writer: Leah McKendrick
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr., Ciara Bravo
Genre: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 99 Minutes
Streaming On: Netflix
Voicemails for Isabelle
3.5