Netflix has a bona fide streaming hit on its hands with the romantic comedy Voicemails for Isabelle. Written and directed by Leah McKendrick, the movie stars Zoey Deutch as Jill, a young woman trying to survive the devastating loss of her sister, Isabelle (Ciara Bravo). To cope, Jill leaves deeply personal, raw, and hilariously confessional voicemails on her late sister’s old phone number. Unbeknownst to her, the number has been reassigned to Wes (Nick Robinson), a Texas real estate agent who becomes captivated by the voice behind the messages.
The film, which has drawn comparison’s to the Nora Ephron favorite You’ve Got Mail, shot straight to the top of the streamer’s charts, winning over reviewers, taking social media by storm, and boasting a stellar 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s higher than the buzzy The Drama and just a few ticks off from the Oscar-aspiring Toy Story 5 and Project Hail Mary.
Despite the overwhelming positive reception, however, Voicemails for Isabelle won’t be dialing up any Academy Awards of its own.
Like many a Netflix offering, Voicemails for Isabelle is ineligible for Oscar consideration. The streamer chose not to put the film in theaters for a qualifying run, opting instead for a direct-to-streaming launch.
According to Academy rules for Best Picture eligibility, a feature film must follow an explicit roll-out. To be eligible for the 99th Oscars, a film must open in a commercial theater in at least one of six designated U.S. metropolitan areas — including Los Angeles County, the City of New York, the Bay Area, Chicago, Miami, or Atlanta — and run least seven consecutive days, followed by an expanded theatrical release within 45 days.
While the 2027 Oscars are out of the equation, the film’s awards journey isn’t over. Because it bypassed theaters for a streaming platform, Voicemails for Isabelle is positioned for an 2027 Emmy run. We have the movie penciled in as the way-too-early leader for Outstanding Television Movie.
This follows the path of Netflix’s hit adaptation of another tear-jerker, Remarkably Bright Creatures, starring Sally Field and Lewis Pullman. That project skipped a cinematic run to focus on the Emmys, where it is expected to be a top contender for this year’s awards.
So while Deutch and Robinson won’t be walking the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre for this project, they very well may be at next year’s Emmys; in the meantime, they’ll keep fans sobbing and swooning over their love story.
