VOICEMAILS FOR ISABELLE — Grieving Through The Phone

Review by Steve Barton II

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is easily one of the worst experiences of life. Losing that person that knew everything about you and the only person who you could call to talk to about anything weird or funny. A part of you dies when your other half goes, because you can’t replace that special type of magic. One thing that has been proven to be therapeutic for some grieving people is to write the deceased person a letter or diary to them. When it comes to Voicemails for Isabelle, Leah McKendrick puts a twist on that concept and picks up the phone. Voicemails for Isabelle follows Jill (Zoey Deutch) living on her own in San Francisco and struggling while chasing her culinary dreams when she loses her best friend and sister, Isabelle (Ciara Bravo). While trying to grieve Isabelle, Jill continues to call her number and leaves voicemails as a way to keep their relationship alive and intact. What Jill doesn’t realize is Isabelle’s number has been transferred to a real estate agent, Wes (Nick Robinson) in Texas and he’s beginning to fall in love with Jill without even seeing her face.


Now, seeing that description written out makes Wes sound like an absolute creep and you’d be correct in that thinking. There was a much healthier way to explore his feelings about Jill, rather than using her private messages to her deceased sister to become her perfect partner. If the man doing these odd actions wasn’t the handsome and charming Nick Robinson, the police would’ve been involved without question. While the premise isn’t bulletproof, Voicemails for Isabelle is a heartwarming story about grief and how tough it is to let go of that person and continue living guilt-free. Anyone who has lost someone close to them and felt completely lost and alone afterward will likely find themselves in Jill and how real and authentic Zoey Deutch plays her.

Zoey has stolen the show in many projects previously like Not Okay and Zombieland: Double Tap, but she shows a new side to her incredible skills list by leading a dramatic rom-com. Everything from her scene realistically breaking down dramatically in the hospital to her eulogy at her sister's wake, Zoey proves that she can handle any type of material or genre you throw at her and she’ll knock it out of the park with ease! We already knew from her previous work that her comedic chops are strong to where she can hold her own in scenes with veterans like Nick Offerman, while also having incredible chemistry with her co-star Nick Robinson. We’ve got to know Nick growing up in front of our eyes with roles in Jurassic World and the underrated Love, Simon with his sarcastic humor and shy/quiet, extroverted personality that makes him so damn charming. He and Zoey match one another perfectly with their energies and the chemistry they have will have the entire audience bought in.


If you’re scrolling Netflix and looking to experience an emotional story that will have you laughing one moment and sobbing the next, Voicemails for Isabelle has you covered. Leah McKendrick found a new and unique way to tackle grief and make it devastating and heartwarming. Being able to speak to your lost loved one is a dream that we all wish was real most days, because the pain of living without them is truly immeasurable. While the two hour runtime may seem like a bit much for this style of film, you won’t regret the time you spend watching Voicemails for Isabelle.


Voicemails for Isabelle is available on Netflix starting June 19th! 


Rating: 4/5