In an interview with IMDb about his first drama film in 2023 friedActor/writer/director Leah McKendrick commented on her unique creative style and balance with serious subject matter such as the pressures of fertility among women in their 30s and traditional comedy structures: “I think magic happens if I don’t hold on to the tone of things so tightly… because I think life is a mixed bag of tones.”
With its 2026 follow-up, Voicemail for IsabelMcKendrick once again attempts to thread that special needle, this time striking a balance between overcoming family tragedy and finding love with a secret twist.
Written by McKendrick himself (with Brida co-starring), the story focuses on Jill (set it up star Zoey Deutch), an unfiltered, vivacious spirit who lives for two people – herself and her sister, Isabelle, who is battling cystic fibrosis at home. Even as Jill grows up and moves away from her hometown Texas to culinary school and her dream city of San Francisco, the sisters remain in constant touch over the phone and share details of their daily lives.
Voicemail for Isabel. (L-R) Nick Robinson as Wes and Zoey Deutch as Jill in the voicemail for Isabel. Ten million. Dia Pera/Netflix © 2026
When Jill receives a disquieting call to come home, her life falls apart as Isabel ultimately succumbs to complications from her illness. To help process her grief, Jill decides to call Isabelle’s old number and leave a voicemail for her, like they always did. However, those calls are now being received by Wes (jurassic worldNick Robinson), an Austin-based commercial real estate agent who becomes enthralled with the stories and emotions of Jill’s chaotic life in the Bay.
Things change when Wes takes a business trip to San Fran in hopes of meeting Jill in the real world. When the two come to blows, Wes is torn about when and how to tell Jill about the voicemail, fearing it might ruin the best thing he ever did.
While not afraid to play around with tones and genres, McKendrick’s latest is an often sweet but sometimes incoherent tale that asks its lead character Zoey Deutch to keep the story on track – which to her credit, she delivers a remarkably good performance with impressive energy and range.
The film whisks its audience between charming childhood memories, painful loss, sitcom job humor, highly unpleasant sexual encounters, whimsical romantic montages, career revivals, and Robin’s “Dancing on My Own” dance parties to create a story that shines in Dutch’s presence as Jill and struggles to make sense beyond her heliocentric charisma.
In addition to her coming of age after losing her purpose of making Jill and Isabel happy, the script is filled with questions and turmoil that often derail Jill’s arc, especially when it comes to Wes and his role in her life.
Voicemail for Isabel. (L-R) Leah McKenrick as Breeda and Nick Robinson as Wes in the voicemail for Isabel. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix
Who is Wes? What do we know about him? Why is he nice to Jill beyond the fact that he doesn’t tease her or cry during sex? Well, we know he doesn’t mind breaking the law to get ahead, and he was content to be with one woman for six months, even if she was mostly trashy and abusive. Anything beyond this is in the service of Jill or has been improved by Jill. She needs him more than he needs her, and their every speech about each other proves it. The final voicemails left to Isabel say it all: Wes tells Isabel he’ll “ask if (he) could go to her… Watch every episode top chef …promise to attend all Robin dance parties” – all things that have nothing to do with her as a person and more to do with her as a dating version of Isabel. And Jill tells Isabel that Wes “can’t fry an egg… works perfectly well but is really a Magic: The Gathering idiot… and… he can’t dance, but I’m working on it” without explaining how that makes her feel. Or why is he nice to her because the bar was down and Wes was in the know.
While the humor also struggles to get off the ground (sorry Lucas Gage and Nick Offerman, I generally like your work) and the friendship between Wes and his only friends never feels meaningful or earned, the movie somehow survives because you want to see Jill happy… because you want to see Zoey Deutch and her megawatts smiling happy… because you want Isabelle’s demise to mean something. Voicemail for Isabel It’s an ode to those trying to understand life after it’s been cut short, punctuated by the right actor to convey all the ups and downs along the way.
Leah McKendrick wanted to embrace the magic of mixed tones, but your mileage may vary on the effectiveness of each tone. She should leave a grateful voicemail for Zoey Deutch.
Watch Voicemail for Isabel if you liked
- fried
- set it up
- everything Everything
- you’ve got Mail
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Zoey Deutch as Jill
Voicemail for Isabel. Zoey Deutch as Jill in the voicemail for Isabel. Ten million. Dia Pera/Netflix © 2026
Early in Zoey Deutch’s career, Casuals could point to the finer aspects of her famous mother’s acting career and that managed to reach Lea Thompson’s daughter.
But, for me, starting with a small role in Richard Linklater’s everybody wants somethingDeutch has built an impressive career as a risk-taking, funny, and compelling actor with a keen eye for strong projects that draw on her best qualities. From serious indies to franchise blockbusters, Deutch thrives in a variety of genres, whether it’s her starring role or extraordinary supporting role.
In Voicemail for IsabelShe shows off every bit of her range as she has to be a fun-loving, slightly carefree older sister to a dying sibling, as well as a woman with a love interest, a sad lost soul, and a budding career, all wrapped up into one adorable and endlessly charming package. The film goes as far as Dutch will take it.
Voicemail for Isabel It’s many things – a family tragedy, a romantic comedy, a coming-of-age story, a little overthought, a little too long, a tone-shifting rollercoaster – but it only succeeds because Zoey Deutch makes you want to watch it. From a solid foundation of brotherly bond, the strong performances guide you through some script misfires and comedy tropes so that you can dance to Robin by the end of the film.
