NickRobinson – Credits Rolling

Jill (Zoey Deutch) and Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) are not only sisters – they are best friends. Inseparable, ride or die, they speak to each other every single day about everything and anything. But Isabelle is sick and when she passes away, Jill’s whole life is turned upside down. Currently competing for a coveted baker position in San Francisco, Jill throws herself into her work and swears off men. As a way of coping, Jill starts leaving voicemails for Isabelle. Unbeknownst to her, the phone number has been reassigned to real estate agent Wes (Nick Robinson) and he ends up listening to all her confessions.

There are films that you watch and then there are films that make you feel. Voicemails For Isabelle falls into the latter category. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I’m glad that I didn’t because I was granted such a beautiful viewing experience. The storyline may not be entirely original, but that didn’t matter. Every other aspect worked.

Deutch just has this charisma about her. She’s magnetic to watch. With the heavier subject matter, I was able to see another side to her that I hadn’t before. Not only did she nail those emotional scenes, I felt like I was on this grief journey too. Each decision was so relatable and came across so naturally. It had been a hot minute since I’d seen Robinson in something. He fell right back into the romcom game effortlessly. The chemistry he shared with Deutch was sincere. I also thought the supporting cast were strong with the likes of Harry Shum Jr. and Leah McKendrick as Andy and Breeda, Wes’s best friends, as well as Toby Sandeman as swarmy podcast host Tyler, Nick Offerman as the diabolical Chef Bastien and Lukas Gage as Arthur, a classmate of Jill’s at the cooking school.

At the core of the movie, however, is the love story between Jill and Isabelle. Their bond was so incredibly special and this was captured right from the get go. I need to give a shoutout to the actresses who portrayed these two when they were younger, Alice Comer and Iris Everly, because they helped set the scene of what was to come. For once it was nice that the focus wasn’t just on a romantic type of love, but instead love in all forms. That unbreakable bond between sisters was beautifully depicted throughout and although I do not have a sister myself, it still impacted me deeply.

Voicemails For Isabelle is one of those films that wasn’t just entertaining. It had something to say and it said it loud and clear. Funny, devastating, not afraid to be vulnerable and deeply human, it was like a rollercoaster in the best possible way.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Doing what she thinks is best for her family, Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) agrees to marry the handsome and seemingly perfect Prince Henry (Nick Robinson). When she realizes their union is a trap, it is too late – she’s thrown into a cave inhabited by a fire-breathing dragon and she must do whatever she can to survive.

Considering the fact that Netflix is known for putting out mediocre films, I went into this one with little to no expectations. Imagine my surprise when I found myself becoming invested and actually kind of enjoying myself?

While it takes way longer than it should to get going, the film did pick up in a big way. With no scene partner to work off of, Brown was completely at the forefront and I have to say that she totally delivered. Her tenacity and bravery to get to safety was thrilling to watch and I found myself waiting in bated breath to see how it would all turn out. Brown, who has been a Netflix protegee since Stranger Things, is certainly one to watch.

Though we don’t see them often, the additions of Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett and Robin Wright as the respective parents were selling points. Robinson unfortunately had quite a wooden performance as the prince thanks to some cringe worthy lines.

The special effects were mostly convincing save for a couple of green screen landscapes. The cave scenes in particular and the dragon itself was quite well done. At times it felt realistic and like the Kingdom of Aurea really does exist.

Damsel was way better than I was expecting it to be. Taking the damsel in distress trope and spinning it on its head was a brilliant idea. It’s no masterpiece by any means, but it made for an entertaining watch and that’s all that matters.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️