Office Romance Review: Goldstein and J-Lo are Fun, But the Overly Long Rom-Com Loses Steam

There are few figures as integral to the success of the Netflix rom-com as Jennifer Lopez. The actress has been paired off with a half-dozen of Hollywood’s leading men, and she can drive the success of nearly any rom-com. Office Romance pairs her with Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein, who continues to shine as a comedic talent. However, even with the two showing some chemistry, the brash romance comes across as a try-hard, overly long comedy.

What is Office Romance about?

Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez) is the CEO of Sky Cruz, a mid-level airline with ambitions of growth. After helping land a new deal with the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, she finds herself in a lawsuit against a rival executive (Roger Bart). When Peter (Bradley Whitford), her lifelong lawyer, becomes incapacitated, she is forced to call in a new corporate lawyer. Enter Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein), who immediately falls in love with Jackie.

When the two discover their attraction to each other, they realize the repercussions could be dire. Sydney (Betty Gilpin) tries to stop them from consummating, despite their obvious chemistry. However, Daniel has his own secrets, hiding his relationship with Lizzy (Jodie Whittaker) from his new paramour. When the two finally break the boss-employee barrier, they realize their futures are far more complicated than they imagined.

The romance of Office Romance works, but the comedy is far less effective.

While the 1990s rom-com could get a little goofy, part of their charm was often planted in their grounded nature. Some high-concept comedies could pull off their ideas, but more often than not, films like There’s Something About Mary or The Wedding Singer were the exceptions to the rule. Goldstein clearly writes Office Romance to be in the same vein as those films but at the same time, tries to ground it in the dynamics of the workplace. This ultimately creates a tonal incoherence that is hard for the romance to overcome.

Ol Parker (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again) works in his traditional style, but his style is an odd fit for the more vulgar screenplay of Office Romance. This comes through as more than just language, though Goldstein brings the cultural divides between the United Kingdom and America directly into the comedy. However, the screenplay goes much further, hinting at gags that feel like they’re out of a Farrelly Brothers movie but none of which are presented visually. It creates a strange atmosphere where the audience is going to hear about jism and boners but also rarely shows the sex it’s talking about.

At times, Office Romance is one of the funniest movies you’ve seen on the streaming service in the past year. At others, it’s a mess that runs into every trope of the genre. Landing somewhere between Notting Hill and Forgetting Sarah Marshall does little to help Office Romance work. While the vulgar humor is intriguing as a subversion of the Lopez rom-com persona, there’s not enough consistency in the story for it to work.

While the Goldstein-Lopez relationship doesn’t make sense if you pull at any of the threads (who does not know what their famous boss looks like?), there’s enough chemistry between the two actors that you can almost overlook it. Goldstein proves that Ted Lasso wasn’t a fluke and that he can build chemistry with actresses not named Juno Temple. J-Lo remains as charming as ever, even as the story feels a bit hackneyed around her baggage. When they’re on screen together, it’s a fun time. When they’re not, Office Romance struggles to keep the energy up.

The rest of Office Romance‘s cast has little to play outside of the stereotypes they’re asked to inhabit. Will Sasso arrives and leaves early, essentially showing up to be a sad man. Tony Hale plays a stuffy HR rep, and you can almost understand everything about the role from that description alone. Betty Gilpin is the best friend, but because her character is pregnant, she has little to do besides being a best friend. Even the appearances of Whitford, Edward James Olmos, and Rick Hoffman feel more like stunt casting than fleshed-out characters.

Is Office Romance worth watching?

While fans of Lopez are sure to be happy with her return to movies, Office Romance does not really work. It’s got fun performances from Lopez and Goldstein, but outside of their relationship, you’ve seen dozens of movies in the same ilk. While the rom-com is not a genre that sees new swings in every movie, it needs to execute all of its ideas at a high level. Office Romance does not, and because it cannot find a consistency in the tone, this is a skippable entry in the genre.

Watch Office Romance on Netflix starting June 5, 2026.

Office Romance Review: Goldstein and J-Lo are Fun, But the Overly Long Rom-Com Loses Steam