When Jill’s sister Isabelle passes away, it leaves a hole in her life that is impossible to fill. Yes, this might be a strange starting point for an article about a kicky new romantic comedy bound for Netflix, but stay with it. Zoey Deutch, our reigning modern rom-com queen, leads Leah McKendrick’s “Voicemails for Isabelle” as the heartbroken Jill. Her plucky little sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) has been Jill’s best friend forever, their bond unbreakable by even death itself.
But now that Isabelle is really gone, Jill can’t move on. Stuck in San Francisco at a chef job where she’s treated like dirt, missing her parents in Austin, and desperate to talk to her little sister again for even one minute, Jill is at loose ends. And then, she comes up with a little idea.
Per the film‘s official synopsis: “Beyond grief, Jill is searching for connection in every direction — longing for her sister’s companionship, hoping for some kind of unexpected lifeline to help her make sense of what she’s going through, and trying to hold things together as her job and daily life begin to slip further out of reach. In an attempt to stay close to Isabelle, she continues leaving voicemails on her old number — vulnerable, heartfelt, and often funny messages that become a kind of private outlet for everything she can’t say anywhere else.”
Can you guess what happens next? Well, maybe, but while McKendrick’s film leans on a cute little conceit — someone else gets Isabelle’s old number, and he happens to be played by the charming Nick Robinson — there’s real pathos afoot here.
As Jill keeps yapping into what she believes is still Isabelle’s voicemail box, Robinson’s Wes keeps listening. And, as someone else at loose ends in his life, a lot of what Jill tells him makes sense. And then he decides to go find her.
The film also stars Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr., Megan Danso, Gil Bellows, Toby Sandeman, and Spencer Lord. Filmmaker Leah McKendrick also appears in a key role.
“Voicemails for Isabelle” hits Netflix on Friday, June 19. Check out the film’s first trailer below.
