‘Office Romance’ Review: Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein Deliver a Charming Throwback Rom-Com

Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein bring warmth, wit, and surprising chemistry to a romantic comedy that proudly embraces the genre’s old-fashioned appeal.

There’s a version of Office Romance that probably exists in the minds of some critics where the film is trying to say something profound about corporate culture, workplace obsession, or modern relationships. Viewed through that lens, it’s easy to see why some have been disappointed. The movie flirts with bigger ideas about ambition, loneliness, and work-life balance without ever fully committing to exploring them.

But that criticism assumes Office Romance wants to be something it clearly doesn’t.

This isn’t a prestige drama disguised as a romantic comedy. It isn’t trying to reinvent the genre, deconstruct it, or update it for a new generation. It’s a glossy, star-driven Netflix rom-com starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and from the moment it begins, it knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be.

Honestly, that’s part of its charm.

Over the last decade, romantic comedies have often felt trapped between two competing expectations. They either have to be awards-season adjacent prestige projects or aggressively self-aware commentaries on dating, technology, and modern life. Somewhere along the way, Hollywood forgot that audiences sometimes just want to spend two hours watching attractive, charismatic people fall in love while funny supporting characters create chaos around them.

Office Romance remembers that.

Jennifer Lopez stars as Jackie Cruz, the CEO of Air Cruz, a wildly successful airline company that has consumed virtually every aspect of her life. Jackie is ambitious, demanding, intimidating when necessary, and completely devoted to her work. Brett Goldstein plays Daniel, the airline’s chief legal counsel, whose personal life has become nearly as nonexistent as hers. When the two begin a relationship that threatens both company policy and public perception, they find themselves forced to choose between the careers they’ve built and the feelings they’ve spent years avoiding.

The premise isn’t revolutionary. In fact, it’s almost refreshingly old-fashioned.

But romantic comedies rarely live or die based on originality. They live or die based on chemistry.

And contrary to what some critics have suggested, I found Lopez and Goldstein surprisingly effective together.

No, their chemistry isn’t built around explosive sexual tension or sweeping grand gestures. What makes them work is something much simpler. They seem to genuinely enjoy each other’s company. Their conversations have an easy rhythm. Their banter feels natural. There’s a comfort between them that gradually develops into something believable. By the time the relationship becomes more serious, I wasn’t questioning whether these two characters would be together. I was rooting for them to figure out how.

That distinction matters.

The internet has spent months speculating about the relationship between Lopez and Goldstein off-screen, and while gossip is hardly evidence of anything, it does reinforce a basic truth: audiences buy into the dynamic between these two actors. Watching the film, it’s easy to understand why. Their connection feels playful rather than forced, and they bring out a lighter side in each other that helps the romance feel genuine even when the screenplay occasionally leans into familiar territory.

Lopez, in particular, remains one of the most reliable movie stars working in this genre. She understands exactly how romantic comedies function. She knows when to lean into vulnerability, when to embrace comedy, and when simply letting her charisma carry a scene is enough. Jackie could have easily become a caricature of the ruthless executive, but Lopez finds enough humanity beneath the power suits and corporate confidence to keep her grounded.

Goldstein, meanwhile, continues proving that his appeal extends well beyond Ted Lasso. His performance here isn’t flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. He brings warmth, awkward charm, and just enough emotional sincerity to make Daniel feel like more than a stock romantic lead. The character’s dry humor fits Goldstein naturally, and his scenes with Lopez improve steadily as the film progresses.

What surprised me even more than the romance, however, was how funny the movie is.

The supporting cast consistently steals scenes and keeps the energy moving whenever the central plot risks becoming too predictable. Betty Gilpin is an absolute weapon as Sydney, Jackie’s fiercely loyal assistant. Every disapproving stare, every passive-aggressive remark, and every attempt to sabotage Daniel lands perfectly because Gilpin understands exactly how ridiculous the character is without ever playing her as a joke.

Tony Hale delivers some of the film’s biggest laughs as an exhausted HR representative who seems permanently trapped in a state of low-grade panic. Watching him desperately attempt to enforce workplace policies while everything around him collapses becomes one of the movie’s most reliable sources of comedy.

Jodie Whittaker also deserves special mention. She arrives with an energy that immediately wakes up every scene she’s in, bringing a level of unpredictability that helps balance some of the film’s more conventional storytelling.

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Collectively, the ensemble gives Office Romance a sense of fun that many streaming romantic comedies desperately lack. Too often, modern rom-coms become so focused on the central couple that they forget to build an entertaining world around them. Here, the supporting characters are memorable enough that you actually look forward to their appearances.

That doesn’t mean the movie is without flaws.

There are moments where the screenplay seems unsure how sharp it wants to be. Storylines involving workplace culture, corporate politics, and professional ambition occasionally suggest a more satirical version of the film before quickly retreating back toward safer territory. Certain plot threads feel introduced more because they’re expected than because the movie has anything meaningful to say about them.

The film’s view of work can also feel a little exaggerated. Nearly everyone in this world appears obsessed with their job to a degree that borders on parody. Air Cruz sometimes feels less like a company and more like a personality cult. If you’re looking for a nuanced examination of modern professional life, this probably isn’t the movie for you.

Then again, I don’t think that’s the point.

The film isn’t asking viewers to analyze capitalism. It’s asking them to enjoy a romantic comedy.

And viewed on those terms, it largely succeeds.

What I appreciated most about Office Romance is that it never seems embarrassed by its own identity. It isn’t constantly winking at the audience. It isn’t apologizing for being romantic. It isn’t trying to convince viewers that it’s secretly more important than a rom-com. Instead, it embraces the genre’s strengths: charm, chemistry, humor, escapism, and a happy ending.

There’s something refreshing about that confidence.

In an era where every movie seems designed to generate discourse, Office Romance is content to generate enjoyment. It wants audiences to laugh, smile, and spend time with characters they like. Sometimes that’s enough.

By the time the inevitable third-act complications arrive, I found myself surprisingly invested. Not because the story had shocked me with unexpected twists, but because the movie had earned enough goodwill that I wanted these characters to find their way back to each other.

That’s the secret of every successful romantic comedy. The destination isn’t supposed to be surprising. The audience knows where the story is going. The challenge is making them care about the journey.

Office Romance accomplishes that more often than not.

No one is going to confuse it with the greatest romantic comedy ever made. It won’t be remembered as a genre-defining classic, and it probably won’t appear on many year-end awards lists. But that’s an unfair standard to apply to a movie that never set out to do any of those things in the first place.

What it does deliver is two hours of breezy, entertaining escapism anchored by charismatic performances, genuine laughs, and a romance that feels warm, sweet, and easy to root for.

Sometimes that’s exactly what audiences are looking for.

Rating: ★★★★☆

CREDITS

Release Date: Friday, June 5, 2026

Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Betty Gilpin, Jodie Whittaker, Tony Hale

Director: Ol Parker

Screenwriters: Brett Goldstein, Joe Kelly

Streaming On: Netflix

Run Time: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

Rated: R

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