Office Romance - Netflix Movie Review

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After the buzz around this Jennifer Lopez film, I finally found time to watch Office Romance on Netflix. I had consciously avoided reading reviews so I could save the suspense factor to myself. I went with limited hope, given the rom-com genre has been struggling lately. 

And thankfully, I was not at all disappointed.

The movie is about Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez), a meticulous airline CEO whose company AirCruz, founded by her father, is now profitable but the board wants to replace her  


Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein from Ted Lasso), a British lawyer joining AirCruz's legal department, instantly falls for Jackie. 

The meet-cute? Awkward. Daniel gets a boner during their first meeting in her office—creepy, yes, but the script tries to laugh it off. The company's strict no-fraternization policy sets up the central tension.

Jennifer Lopez is wonderful as always. Aptly styled with glamorous power-dressing ensembles and a radiant glow, she convinces us of Jackie's insecurities. She makes a meal out of even the most tepid dialogue, as always. Brett Goldstein remains charming, though he continues to lack naturalism. 


The good news? Lopez and Goldstein share genuine, steamy chemistry that comes alive not just in physical intimacy moments but in their playful back-and-forth.

Betty Gilpin is the MVP of this film. As Jackie's heavily pregnant right-hand woman Sydney, she delivers a fantastic, manic performance—stubbornly taking the stairs, arriving at work the day after labor, refusing to go home. 

So much so that it feels like the writers were having more fun writing office gags and supporting characters than the main romance. Amy Sedaris steals the show effortlessly.

The screenplay is not-so watertight and leaves the viewer to imagine a few sequences, rightfully. The plot has wild leaps—from the inability to keep hands off during a five-second elevator interlude to Jackie snooping into Daniel's incarcerated sister's life. 

Ol Parker's direction does little to amplify the best parts of either performance. The artificial lighting (Netflix strikes again) diminishes what could have been stronger visuals.

Songs and Background Music—well, there's none really, it's a Netflix rom-com. But the end credits have good laughs.

The humour mixes risque and double-entendre jokes, highlighting cultural clashes between British and Americans. Some land, but not all fly—a birthing scene meant to be funny doesn't sit well. 

The 3rd-act near-breakup driven by misunderstandings rings false when these characters are in their 40s and 50s, not teens.

Overall, it's a nice outing for folding laundry, doing dishes, or late-night post-midnight viewing you don't fully digest. Like so many throwaway Netflix romances, there's charm, there's chemistry, and Lopez can make anything work. 

But despite clear intent to capitalize on nostalgia for bygone-era romantic comedies, it struggles to keep attention. You can spot the plot twist from a mile away.

Jennifer Lopez has acted in over 40 movies according to one source, and has 29 leading actor roles with significant box office performance. Born on July 24, 1969 in New York City, she is 56 years old (will turn 57 in July 2026).

My Rating: 6.5 on 10.

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