It’s been quite a while since a romantic comedy truly captured the effervescent charm of the 90s and early 2000s, but Office Romance does exactly that. Streaming now on Netflix, this delightful new feature reminds us exactly why Jennifer Lopez was once the undisputed queen of the genre,and firmly re-establishes her on the throne. Add in super writer, producer and actor Brett Goldestein, who specifically wrote the script with JLO in mind, then you have a recipe for something truly special. Yes the storylines are cliche, yes you question would this couple ever really be together? But simply put, all of this combed, this is the best J.Lo rom-com in a long time.
At the core of Office Romance is Jackie Cruz (Jennifer Lopez), the powerful, no-nonsense President and CEO of AirCruz. As the daughter of the airline’s founder, Jackie runs a tight ship but is constantly under a microscope from her company’s board of directors, who are always looking for a reason to oust her. A dedicated workaholic, Jackie has always put the business ahead of her personal life and believes that work is what truly makes her happy.
Enter Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein), a buttoned-up, repressed British lawyer who steps in to handle a flimsy but stressful lawsuit from rival Falcon Airlines. Their very first meeting involves a hilarious (and incredibly raunchy) handshake incident that sets the tone for their magnetic chemistry. Despite AirCruz’s strict zero-tolerance policy regarding office relationships, the two ambitious workaholics can’t ignore their undeniable attraction. Following a fateful business trip to the Dominican Republic, Jackie and Daniel plunge headfirst into a secret, steamy romance.
However, balancing high-stress corporate jobs and a hidden relationship proves chaotic. Daniel is hiding a massive secret of his own: he needs to keep his job and work visa to stay close to his sister Lizzy (Jodie Whitaker) who is incarcerated in a U.S. prison. When Jackie discovers this omission, the couple reaches a breaking point. Things go from bad to worse when the CEO of Falcon Airlines hires a private investigator to trail them, acquiring damning photos of their secret romance to use as blackmail.
There are a string of comedic actors and stand-ups littered throughout this movie with some quite memorable performances. Nikki Glaser in particular gets to open the film on a date with Daniel and provides one of the funniest moments in the movie outside of the leading cast. Tony Hale plays a HR rep who has to deal with the fallout of the secret relationship and Amy Sedaris plays a hotel assistant and gets to deliver a memorable appearance.
At the heart of the film is the perfect, effortless chemistry between Lopez and her co-star Brett Goldstein. As Jackie, the President and CEO of Air Cruz, Lopez steps out of the “everyday worker” or “struggling creative” tropes we are so used to seeing her in. Instead, it is an absolute joy to watch her command the screen as a high-powered, take-no-prisoners big boss. Goldstein, playing Daniel Blanchflower, provides the perfect grounded foil to her corporate powerhouse. Their banter crackles with a magnetic tension that makes the inevitable romance feel incredibly earned.
A huge part of the movie’s success is owed to Goldstein’s brilliant writing. He successfully marries a dry, sharp British wit with classic American situational comedy, creating a hilarious blend that keeps the pacing brisk and the laughs constant. The script knows exactly when to lean into beloved genre tropes and when to subvert them, making it the perfect streaming movie, packed with enough charm and humour to justify curling up on the couch for a cozy weekend watch.
Goldstein wrote the script with Lopez specifically in mind, and that intentionality shows in every frame. It genuinely harkens back to the golden age of rom-coms, providing a breezy, feel-good escape that hits all the right notes. Grab some popcorn; Office Romance is a mandatory HR meeting you definitely won’t want to skip.
