‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ proves Netflix still makes great rom-coms
‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ proves Netflix still makes great rom-coms
Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson lead a funny, emotional romance about grief, healing, and finding a reason to move forward.
There’s so much content on Netflix that it becomes very easy to miss the good stuff. A movie can have great performances, a really good original story, and everything you actually want from a night on the couch, then disappear under the next wave of releases. One of the best recent movies I’ve watched at home fits this to a T — “Voicemails for Isabelle.” Tara and I watched this one as soon as it dropped, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it to hit me the way it did. The setup sounds like a cute romantic comedy, but what makes this movie work is the grief underneath everything. It’s funny, sweet, and way more emotional than I expected. If you’re looking for an under-the-radar comedy movie on Netflix right now, this is the one I’d tell you to start with.
Best under-the-radar comedy movie on Netflix
Why ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ is the most underrated comedy movie on Netflix
I still think it’s wild how quietly “Voicemails for Isabelle” landed. Written and directed by Leah McKendrick and starring Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Nick Offerman, and Harry Shum Jr., this is a real, polished Netflix rom-com with a great cast and a genuinely good hook. And yes, plenty of people watched it, over 50 million, but I’d still call it underrated because it never really broke through into the larger conversation. It also arrived just two weeks after “Office Romance,” the much bigger Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein rom-com Netflix was pushing hard, so it was fighting for attention right out of the gate. That’s a shame, because this is exactly the kind of funny, heartfelt movie that deserves more word of mouth.
Tara and I watched “Voicemails for Isabelle” right away, and the thing that surprised me most was that the romance wasn’t actually the part that stuck with me. The movie follows Jill, played by Zoey Deutch, an aspiring pastry chef who keeps leaving voicemails for her late sister Isabelle. She thinks she’s just talking into the void, but those messages are actually going to Wes, a real estate agent in Austin played by Nick Robinson. Wes starts listening, gets pulled into Jill’s chaotic, funny, very human life, and slowly develops feelings for someone he’s never met. That setup sounds like it could become a weird (creepy?) gimmick, but the movie understands exactly what makes it interesting.
Watch the trailer for ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’
The reason this movie works is that Jill’s story is really about trying to move forward after losing the person who knew her best. The romance matters, but the grief is what gives everything weight. Deutch is fantastic because she can make Jill hilarious one minute and completely heartbreaking the next. The movie never treats the sad parts like something it has to rush through before getting back to the cute stuff. It lets Jill be messy. She can laugh, cry, make bad decisions, and still be someone you’re rooting for. That balance is what makes the movie feel different from a lot of modern rom-coms.
I also love that the movie knows exactly what kind of story it is. McKendrick clearly understands classic romantic comedies and plays with those expectations instead of just copying them. The movie has fun with the familiar beats, but it also knows the premise has a weird side to it. Yeah, Wes listening to someone’s private voicemails sounds like it could get creepy. The movie even acknowledges that. But the way Robinson plays him makes it feel less like a thriller and more like someone who knows he’s in over his head and keeps making the wrong choice because he genuinely cares about Jill. The chemistry between Deutch and Robinson is what sells the whole thing. And if you give this movie a chance, you won’t be disappointed.
What is ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ about?
“Voicemails for Isabelle” follows Jill, an aspiring pastry chef in San Francisco who continues calling her late sister Isabelle’s old phone number to leave messages about her life. The problem is that the number now belongs to Wes, a real estate agent in Austin who starts receiving those voicemails and becomes fascinated by the person behind them. As the two become connected through Jill’s messages, the movie explores grief, loneliness, family, and what happens when an unexpected person helps you start moving forward again.
Other underappreciated comedy movies on Netflix
If “Voicemails for Isabelle” works for you and you want a few more Netflix comedies with some romance mixed in, there are some great options. “Office Romance” stars Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein in a workplace rom-com about two people trying to figure out what happens when professional chemistry starts turning into something more personal.
“People We Meet on Vacation” leans even harder into the romance, following longtime best friends whose years of traveling together start forcing them to confront what they actually mean to each other.
And “Kinda Pregnant” goes much more into cringe comedy, with Amy Schumer playing a woman whose fake pregnancy creates a massive mess. They’re all different flavors of comedy, but if you want something light, funny, and relationship-driven after “Voicemails for Isabelle,” these are easy follow-ups.
Netflix
Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”