If you’ve spent the last few years complaining that romcoms just aren’t what they used to be, Voicemails for Isabelle might finally give you some hope. As someone who’s been saying exactly that to anyone willing to listen, this felt like a refreshing reminder of why the genre became so beloved in the first place. It’s funny, deeply romantic and, somehow, devastating too.
The film cleverly pokes fun at comparisons to The Fault in Our Stars, along with plenty of familiar romcom clichés, making it far more self-aware than you’d expect. And yet, despite all that humour, I wasn’t prepared to be crying just 13 minutes in. At its heart, this is a story about sisters. After losing her younger sister Isabelle, Jill (Zoey Deutch) continues leaving her voicemails, unaware that the number now belongs to a stranger. What unfolds is a genuinely original romance that balances grief and comedy with surprising ease. It’s also the perfect film to watch with your sister and probably call her the moment the credits roll.
Deutch is, once again, effortlessly charming. Between Set It Up and Voicemails for Isabelle, she’s given us two of the best romcoms of the past decade. One more hit, and we can officially crown her this era’s romcom queen. And if this leaves you wanting more, Set It Up is the obvious next watch.
