Office Romance (2026) [Movie Review] — Jennifer Lopez & Goldstein Can't Save This Uneven Rom-Com

Office Romance has all the ingredients of a breezy romantic comedy: stylish leads, luxe locations, playful needle-drops, and the promise of workplace chaos turning into chemistry. Directed by Ol Parker and written by Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly, the film initially looks like it might deliver a light, watchable flirtation. But the charm never really arrives. What unfolds instead is a rom-com that feels mechanically assembled, oddly strained, and far less clever than it wants to be.

The film stars Jennifer Lopez as Jackie Cruz, the formidable CEO of Cruz Airlines, and Brett Goldstein as Daniel Blanchflower, the new lawyer who gets pulled into her world. Their first scenes are built around the kind of mistaken-connection setup that romantic comedies often rely on, but here the execution feels clumsy rather than witty. The film clearly wants to echo better rom-com openings, yet the result is more awkward than amusing.

Chemistry Without Conviction

A Love Story That Never Fully Believes in Itself

The central relationship should be the movie’s engine, but it never catches fire. Lopez brings presence, and Goldstein has an easy comic rhythm, yet the screenplay gives them too little emotional traction. Their interactions are meant to suggest tension, attraction, and inevitability, but the writing rarely allows either character to feel fully alive.

Instead of building romance through sharp banter or genuine emotional contrast, the film leans on coincidence and artificial beats. The result is a love story that seems to happen because the plot requires it, not because the characters earn it. Even the more intimate moments feel staged, as though the movie is ticking boxes rather than discovering a relationship.

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A Plot Packed with Contrivances

Legal Drama, Corporate Stakes, and Too Many Convenient Turns

One of the film’s biggest problems is how hard it tries to manufacture stakes out of flimsy material. The workplace conflict, the legal trouble, the company politics, and the secret-romance angle all feel stitched together in ways that make the story less believable, not more engaging. The story expects viewers to go along with a chain of overly convenient events, from improbable timing and unexpected twists to a particularly far-fetched arrival through a tunnel.

The film clearly aims to blend romantic charm with workplace drama, yet the screenplay never fully embraces either genuine comedy or meaningful emotional depth. Scenes that should land as farce instead feel lazy, while moments that should deepen the romance are underwritten. Even the family and boardroom dynamics, which could have added texture, are reduced to familiar, predictable beats.

Comedy That Misses the Mark

Jokes, Tone Shifts, and Repeated Misfires

The movie also struggles with tone. It includes crude jokes, awkward sexual humor, and a handful of scenes that seem designed for shock value more than actual laughter. But the film does not fully embrace a wild, unapologetic, farcical style. Instead, it wants to remain soft, glossy, and emotionally accessible. That mismatch makes many scenes feel jarring.

Rather than finding clever humor in office tension, romantic secrecy, or cultural misunderstandings, Office Romance settles for dialogue that often sounds flat and obvious. The writing lacks the quick sparkle that a good rom-com needs. Instead of playful wit, the film leans on tired lines and over-explained reactions.

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Final Verdict

A Romantic Comedy That Never Earns Its Promise

Office Romance is a movie with polished surfaces and talented performers, but little else holding it together. Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein are appealing on paper, yet the film surrounding them is too contrived, too uneven, and too unfunny to make their pairing memorable. What should have been a light, enjoyable romance ends up feeling tedious and overdesigned.

For viewers hoping for a smart, sparkling romantic comedy, this one is likely to disappoint. It has the look of a crowd-pleaser, but not the heart or invention to become one.

Rating: ★★⯪☆☆ (2.5/5)