‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ is a new romantic comedy film that landed on the streaming platform on June 19, 2026. Written and directed by Leah McKendrick, the film stars Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson. The story follows a young woman named Jill who copes with her sister’s death by leaving voicemails to her deceased sibling, unaware that the phone number has been reassigned to a stranger who begins to fall in love with her through the messages.
What is ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ about
According to Netflix’s Tudum, Jill, a young woman, leaves voice messages to her deceased sister, telling her about her chaotic life in San Francisco. Unwittingly, a mysterious Austin real estate agent begins to receive these confessions. Jill and her sister Isabelle shared a close bond; Isabelle dealt with cystic fibrosis from a young age. They communicated through voicemails regularly, a new-age way of staying connected.
Zoey Deutch stars as Jill, a young woman who copes with her sister’s death by leaving heartfelt voicemail messages.Image credit: (Instagram)
What the director Leah McKendrick says about her creative vision
According to IndieWire, director Leah McKendrick discussed her approach. McKendrick revealed, “I learned it does not serve me to be endlessly, blindly loyal to a script that is not going to get made. I can either die on this hill with this script, or I can make a movie.”McKendrick also explained how the male lead falls for the protagonist. “He’s bearing witness to such courage [from Jill],” McKendrick says. “That authenticity in somebody so deeply human, who wouldn’t fall in love?”McKendrick discussed the film’s core theme. McKendrick said, “When I first wrote [the script], I hadn’t found my person, and so it was more about belonging and the imagining of what it could be like to find true love in romantic love. My sister is alive and well, she’s healthy, but it was really just inspired by her being my soulmate and wanting to write a love letter to sisterhood.”
The voicemail device
Director McKendrick explained why voicemails were central to the story. “Voicemails cannot be edited or rewritten,” said McKendrick. “They’re usually messy, awkward, inarticulate — sometimes confessional. Like a stream of consciousness, they always go a little off the rails.”
Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson lead the romantic comedy, which explores grief, sisterhood and unexpected love.Imaage credit: (Instagram)
The cast and creative team
The cast includes Zoey Deutch as Jill and Nick Robinson as Wes, the mysterious real estate agent, alongside supporting actors Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr. , and Ciara Bravo, who plays Isabelle.Writer-director Leah McKendrick points to Deutch’s big brown eyes and her singular range to explain what makes her “endlessly lovable.”
The cast of ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ includes Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr. and Ciara Bravo.Image credit (Instagram)
McKendrick discussed her experience working with the cast. McKendrick said, “If this were middle school, Lukas and Zoey would have to be separated. They make each other laugh uncontrollably.”
The rom-com tradition
According to Deadline, the film follows in the footsteps of romantic comedies that have used communication as their central device, from letters in ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ (1940) to emails in ‘You’ve Got Mail’ (1998) to texts in ‘Love Again’ (2023).‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ has been available for streaming on Netflix since June 19, 2026.
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