Voicemails for Isabelle is a 2026 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Leah McKendrick. It stars Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Harry Shum Jr., Lukas Gage, and Nick Offerman. It follows a woman named Jill who, to cope with the sudden loss of her sister Isabelle, begins leaving voicemails on Isabelle's phone number. Unbeknownst to her, Isabelle's phone number has been reassigned to a man named Wes, who begins to fall in love with Jill.
| Voicemails for Isabelle | |
|---|---|
 Release poster | |
| Directed by | Leah McKendrick |
| Written by | Leah McKendrick |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Julia Swain |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release date |
|
Running time | 118 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film was released on Netflix on June 19, 2026, and received positive reviews from critics.
Plot
editJill is an aspiring baker living in San Francisco and working under the abusive Chef Bastien. She regularly relates her life to her sister Isabelle, a cystic fibrosis patient who lives back home in Austin, over the phone. After Isabelle's abrupt death, Jill starts leaving voicemails on her number, unaware that it has been reassigned to Austin-based real estate agent Wes. Wes becomes invested in Jill's life. He learns about Jill's dates with her coworker Arthur and dating podcaster Tyler, and her desire to become a baker. Wes eventually realizes Isabelle is dead, but continues to fixate on Jill, against the advice of his engaged friends Andy and Breeda.
After Tyler ghosts her, Jill crashes a live taping of his podcast and calls him out. Wes, who convinced his boss to send him on a work trip to San Francisco, also attends and follows her out. He meets her at her usual spot overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. Invoking their shared Texas backgrounds, Wes invites her for tacos, and they bond. She agrees to show him around San Francisco.
On a tour bus, Jill tells Wes that she is unsure of her career. After the guide quits, Wes takes over, entertains the riders, and encourages and serenades Jill. He is kicked off the bus, but Jill steps off and kisses him. She makes him dinner, including a chicken pot pie in the style of his mother's, and confides that she learned to cook while keeping her sick sister company at home. A conflicted Wes fails to tell her about the voicemails.
Wes brings Jill as his date to Breeda and Andy's wedding date. At the reception, she tries to leave a voicemail for Isabelle, but realizes Wes's phone is receiving the call. Disgusted, she confronts him and leaves. She is heartbroken to lose the voicemails after a software update.
Bastien promotes Arthur to baker despite turning in a raw souffle, causing Jill to fly into a rage and quit. Her parents visit for her birthday and gift her Isabelle's college fund, which she uses to start a dessert nacho food truck named Jill and Izzy's. To her surprise, her former coworker Zella arrives and helps steer the opening to success.
Breeda updates Wes on Jill's new business. He tries to convince his hacker coworker Felix to retrieve Jill's voicemails. On New Year's Eve, Wes leaves Jill a voicemail explaining that he has changed his work line and paid for Isabelle's old number until the end of the next year so she can continue to speak to it. He invites her to meet him at their favorite taco restaurant, José's. Jill, visiting her parents, is elated to discover that the voicemails have returned to her phone. With Breeda and Andy's encouragement, Wes rushes through the streets and is pleased to find Jill at José's. The two reconcile and kiss.
Later, as Jill and Zella serve their dessert tacos in a San Francisco park, Wes calls Isabelle's number and asks for her blessing. Simultaneously, Jill calls the number and says it will be her last voicemail, as she thinks she will be okay. The two dance to Jill and Isabelle's favorite song, Robyn's "Dancing on My Own".
Cast
edit- Zoey Deutch as Jill
- Nick Robinson as Wes
- Harry Shum Jr. as Andy
- Lukas Gage as Arthur
- Ciara Bravo as Isabelle
- Nick Offerman as Chef Bastien
- Megan Danso as Zella
- Gil Bellows as Jill and Isabelle's dad
- Tanis Dolman as Jill and Isabelle's mom
- Toby Sandeman as Tyler
- Spencer Lord as Scott (Pink eye)
In addition, the film's writer and director, Leah McKendrick, appears as Breeda.
Production
editVoicemails for Isabelle was originally announced in 2019 with Hailee Steinfeld playing the lead, Sharon Maguire directing, and Sony producing.[2] In May 2025, it was announced that Leah McKendrick would be writing and directing a romantic comedy film for Netflix, starring Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson.[3][4] Principal photography began in July 2025, in Vancouver, Canada.[5] Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr., Ciara Bravo, Spencer Lord, Tanis Dolman, and Gil Bellows rounded out the cast in August 2025.[6]
Release
editReception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of 19 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10.[8]
Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[9]
References
edit- ↑ "Voicemails for Isabelle (15)". British Board of Film Classification. June 18, 2026. Retrieved June 19, 2026.
- ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (May 20, 2019). "Sharon Maguire In Talks To Direct 'Voicemails For Isabelle' With Hailee Steinfeld". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
- ↑ Fleming Jr., Mike (May 15, 2025). "Netflix Sets Zoey Deutch & Nick Robinson For Leah McKendrick-Helmed 'Voicemails For Isabelle'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson to Star in Romantic Comedy Feature 'Voicemails For Isabelle' At Netflix". Netflix. May 15, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ Bitran, Tara (August 1, 2025). "Zoey Deutch Sets Up Her Next Rom-Com with Voicemails for Isabelle". Netflix Tudum. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ Grobar, Matt (August 1, 2025). "Netflix Rom-Com 'Voicemails For Isabelle' Adds Nick Offerman, Lukas Gage, Harry Shum Jr., Ciara Bravo & More To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ Bahr, Lindsey (April 27, 2026). "Summer Movie Guide 2026: Here's what's coming to theaters and streaming from May to August". AP News. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
- ↑ "Voicemails for Isabelle". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Voicemails for Isabelle". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved June 20, 2026.
