Netflix rom-com 'Voicemails for Isabelle' divides viewers over 'creepy' stalking premise
Netflix's original film 'Voicemails for Isabelle' has become a word-of-mouth sensation, ranking number one in 73 countries including the UK and holding second place behind 'Enola Holmes 3'. However, a growing number of viewers and experts are raising alarms about its central storyline, which they argue romanticises stalking.
The film follows Jill (Zoey Deutch), a baker grieving her sister Isabelle (Ciara Bravo), by leaving lengthy voicemails for her deceased sibling. When Isabelle's old number is reassigned to estate agent Wes (Nick Robinson), he listens to the messages and uses the intimate details to woo Jill without revealing how he knows her.
Viewers call out 'unsettling' behaviour
Criticism mounted on social media, with user Yomi tweeting: 'Unpopular opinion: Voicemails for Isabelle wasn't romantic. It was creepy.' She elaborated: 'He learns intimate details about her life, her routines, her pain, and her vulnerabilities. Then he uses that information to work his way into her world.'
Metro reporters also voiced discomfort. Lifestyle reporter Charlie Sawyer said: 'I'm a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic but I thought the entire thing was desperately creepy and invasive. Lying like that is never sexy – it's totally psychotic.' Senior TV reporter Asyia Iftikhar added: 'The scene where he goes to the bench after secretly listening to her voicemail made my skin crawl.'
Expert warns of real-world danger
Criminal behaviour analyst Laura Richards, former New Scotland Yard officer and founder of the National Stalking Advocacy Service Paladin, called the film 'very dangerous'. She told Metro: 'He listened to deeply personal messages of a grieving woman and exploited her vulnerability for his own gain. That is not okay.'
Richards emphasised that Wes's behaviour constitutes stalking: 'The fact he got on a plane and turned up on her bench – her special spot that was remote and isolated – and played into her specific romantic fantasy was not only exploitative, it was creepy, alarming and could have been extremely dangerous for Jill.'
She added: 'Take away the attractive actors, the music and the happy ending, and this starts sounding a lot less like a love story and a lot more like stalking. This level of fixation and obsession often results in serious harm including psychological harm and sometimes murder.'
Defenders argue genre tropes, writer explains inspiration
Some fans defended the film, noting that rom-coms often rely on heightened scenarios. Sub-editor Jenny Forsyth admitted: 'Him following her without her knowledge is of course completely creepy. But I also somehow found it quite romantic that he was that desperate to be with her.'
Writer-director Leah McKendrick told Forbes the film was inspired by her relationship with her sister: 'It was based on a love for the fact that my sister taught me how to love. And she taught me how to identify true love in the world.'
Despite the controversy, 'Voicemails for Isabelle' remains a top Netflix title, with many viewers connecting to the sisters' central relationship. Metro has contacted Netflix and McKendrick for comment.
