Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Writer-director Leah McKendrick joins composers Este Haim and Amanda Yamate to discuss the deeply personal creative process behind Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabelle and the music that helped shape its story.
In this exclusive interview, McKendrick explains how a comedy club encounter inspired the film’s premise and why every project she writes begins with a playlist. She also discusses the songs that influenced key moments in the movie, including her connection to Robyn’s music and her determination to include Taylor Swift’s "Marjorie."
Meanwhile, Haim and Yamate break down their approach to scoring the film, revealing how they began composing before reading the script and how they translated themes of sisterhood, grief, and memory into a sweeping orchestral score. The conversation also explores the unique collaboration between filmmakers and composers, with McKendrick explaining why directors should communicate through emotion rather than technical music terminology.
From songwriting and scoring to storytelling and loss, this interview offers a thoughtful look at how Voicemails for Isabelle uses music to connect audiences with its characters and themes.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction – The Music of Voicemails for Isabelle
0:27 The Joke That Sparked the Story
1:03 Writing the Film Through a Playlist
2:11 Why Taylor Swift's "Marjorie" Meant So Much
3:06 Este Haim & Amanda Yamate on Composing the Score
4:45 Speaking the Language of Emotion
6:20 How Music Carries the Audience Through the Story
7:57 Leah McKendrick’s Most Emotional Scene
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Maggie Lovitt & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#voicemailsforisabelle #netflix #collider
Writer-director Leah McKendrick joins composers Este Haim and Amanda Yamate to discuss the deeply personal creative process behind Netflix’s Voicemails for Isabelle and the music that helped shape its story.
In this exclusive interview, McKendrick explains how a comedy club encounter inspired the film’s premise and why every project she writes begins with a playlist. She also discusses the songs that influenced key moments in the movie, including her connection to Robyn’s music and her determination to include Taylor Swift’s "Marjorie."
Meanwhile, Haim and Yamate break down their approach to scoring the film, revealing how they began composing before reading the script and how they translated themes of sisterhood, grief, and memory into a sweeping orchestral score. The conversation also explores the unique collaboration between filmmakers and composers, with McKendrick explaining why directors should communicate through emotion rather than technical music terminology.
From songwriting and scoring to storytelling and loss, this interview offers a thoughtful look at how Voicemails for Isabelle uses music to connect audiences with its characters and themes.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction – The Music of Voicemails for Isabelle
0:27 The Joke That Sparked the Story
1:03 Writing the Film Through a Playlist
2:11 Why Taylor Swift's "Marjorie" Meant So Much
3:06 Este Haim & Amanda Yamate on Composing the Score
4:45 Speaking the Language of Emotion
6:20 How Music Carries the Audience Through the Story
7:57 Leah McKendrick’s Most Emotional Scene
Our Social Media:
facebook.com/collider
x.com/Collider
Our Website
collider.com
Video By Maggie Lovitt & Dano GS
For copyright matters, please contact us at: legal@valnetinc.com
#voicemailsforisabelle #netflix #collider
