‘Voicemails For Isabelle’ Review – Deutch And Robinson Elevate A Solid Rom-Com

Zoey Deutch has become quite the star over the last decade, putting in solid performances in rom-coms, comedies, and dramas alike year after year. While many may not have been a fan of hers as long as I have (her 7-episode run on Suite Life on Deck was very formative for me), it’s likely that even a casual moviegoer has seen one of her pictures at one point or another. Whether it be the Netflix rom-com Set It Up (2018) or nuanced dramas like The Threesome (2025), Deutch has made a name for herself as a star who is here to stay. Voicemails for Isabelle finds Deutch back in the romantic comedy space, trading out Glen Powell for Nick Robinson. 

Voicemails for Isabelle toes the line between drama and romantic comedy, mostly succeeding in this balance. It does feel like there are two (or three) distinct movies fighting for attention throughout this one feature, which typically doesn’t bode well for a film. You have Jill (Deutch) grieving the loss of her sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) by leaving voicemails for her after she’s passed. Coincidentally, Isabelle’s phone number gets passed off quickly to Wes (Robinson), who listens to the voicemails like a podcast. He uses his real estate job to fly out to San Francisco and find Jill, using the information from the voicemails to woo her.

Separately, Jill is also chasing her dream of being a renowned chef working under Chef Bastien (Nick Offerman). This part of the movie gets treated as if it’s in a silo, not having a ton of overlap with the budding relationship or the grieving that Jill is going through. This throughline is interesting, but definitely feels like a wholly other movie at times. 

Like most movies involving romance, they are made and lost by the leads and their chemistry. Fortunately, Deutch and Robinson have just enough to get by in this film. It’s not lost on the viewer that Wes’s half of the connection is mostly manufactured at first, using his inside knowledge of Jill’s life to find common interests and coincidences. This gets him in with her, but it’s not long before they find a genuine connection without any deceit involved. There’s a really sweet moment where things turn, and their romance begins in earnest.

While she’s not in the film for very long, Bravo’s turn as Isabelle really grounds the movie. Isabelle has battled cystic fibrosis her whole life and is very close to Jill. Her disease keeps her homebound most of the time, forcing her to live vicariously through Jill, who goes out in the world on a more normal path. Their daily calls are her main source of entertainment, and Bravo sells their importance so well. Her emotional journey at the beginning of the film does a great job of drawing you in. 

The performances work well together, and the story isn’t too far-fetched, but the way the movie looks takes away from a lot of what it’s got going for it. Nothing in the cinematography stands out, and the saturation makes every location and backdrop look bland. We’re used to this in these straight-to-Netflix films, but it’s sad to see so many otherwise solid movies with the same look over and over again. 

Overall, Voicemails for Isabelle manages to weave its seemingly disparate plots together coherently and plays to its strengths with good chemistry and strong performances from Deutch, Robinson, and especially Bravo. The beginning of the movie is heartwrenching and is sure to draw even the most cynical viewer (looking at myself here) in before the lighter points of the film come through.

Voicemails for Isabelle is currently available to stream on Netflix. 

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