Netflix's latest chart-topping film, Voicemails For Isabelle, has an unexpected backstory that is sure to delight its growing fanbase. The tear-jerking film is currently number one among UK subscribers, reducing viewers to an 'emotional wreck'. Despite only landing on the platform at the end of last week, some viewers admit to watching it repeatedly.
The synopsis reveals the story of Jill, who processes the grief of losing her sister by leaving voicemails documenting her turbulent life in San Francisco. When the number is unwittingly reassigned, a mysterious Austin estate agent begins receiving the amusingly candid messages. While audiences describe it as an emotional rollercoaster, the concept has sparked curiosity about whether it is adapted from a book or rooted in reality.
Is Voicemails For Isabelle Based on a Book?
Writer and director Leah McKendrick has shed light on the unlikely inspiration behind the production. The 39-year-old, who appears in the film herself in a small role as Breeda, first drafted the screenplay seven years ago. It is not a book adaptation.
While Voicemails For Isabelle is not directly based on specific real-life events, it does draw from McKendrick's personal experiences. The initial idea was sparked during a visit to a comedy club. McKendrick attended a showcase to support her then roommate, who performed a skit about their father leaving mundane voicemails. The following comedian joked that their father hadn't been in touch for three years, having passed away. McKendrick recalls being the only one who laughed. From this moment, the concept of leaving messages to those no longer with us was born.
Personal Voicemails to Her Sister
McKendrick told People: "And then I thought, 'If my dad dies, I won't be waiting for him to call me back because my dad doesn't call me back and he's alive.' And then I thought if my sister died, I'd be waiting for her to call me back. And then I thought, no, if my sister died, I would just keep calling her."
This concept was further reinforced when McKendrick's younger sister relocated to New York to attend university, and she did indeed begin leaving her voicemails about her daily life. She would fill her in on her day, and pour her heart out about disastrous dates or her professional struggles. She added: "I would just let it all hang out. And what a horror story it could be if somebody were to ever hear my most unfiltered self. But you would know that if somebody fell in love with that unfiltered self, it would be real."
A Heartfelt Tribute
While the film may be categorised as a romantic comedy, the director describes it as a heartfelt tribute to her sister, saying: "I think if you've experienced true love through family, you don't settle when you're searching for it in romantic love because you know what it feels like. I've known since I was 4 years old, and she (my sister) came home, what true love was."
Voicemails for Isabelle is streaming on Netflix.
