Jennifer Lopez has done some great rom-coms in her career, and the fact that Brett Goldstein wrote Office Romance with her specifically in mind has had fans excited about this one for over a year. It definitely hasn’t hurt buzz for the movie that the Ted Lasso actor had a real-life crush on JLo or that there were reports of the on-set “flirt fest” between the two stars. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait any longer, because the movie hit the 2026 Netflix schedule on June 5, and I’m actually surprised at what critics are saying.
Office Romance sees Jennifer Lopez’s Jackie Cruz become involved with Brett Goldstein’s Daniel Blanchflower, who works for her. The two engage in a secret relationship that obviously doesn’t stay a secret. The couple’s chemistry is “electric” in the trailer, but CinemaBlend’s Riley Utley saw the movie and had a different take on the best part, saying:
Yes, Office Romance's romance between Brett Goldstein and JLo's characters is delightful. However, the true delights of this movie are its supporting cast. Betty Gilpin specifically is, as she plays Lopez's right-hand woman who is suspicious of her boss being in a relationship. Bradley Whitford, Tony Hale and more also give wacky and hilarious performances that make this movie. Overall, the highlight of Office Romance isn't really the romance, it's the office.
Ema Sasic of Next Best Picture confirms as much, saying “the real fun lies in a never-ending funhouse of delightfully unhinged supporting actors.” They’re likely the ones that earned a 7/10 rating from this critic, because Sasic expresses some disappointment in the romantic plot. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, she says, either in the rom-com genre or from either of the lead actors. The critic continues:
The true ace with Office Romance is the onslaught of comedic on-screen talent among the supporting players. Gilpin’s work-obsessed Sydney is a literal riot as she refuses to take maternity leave, leading to an insane bonding moment between her, Daniel, and Jackie at the office. Another scene where she quietly fights with Daniel while her newborn naps is a great moment that spotlights her comedic timing and Jim Carrey-esque, exaggerated facial expressions. Amy Sedaris, Hale, and Whitford all add extra fun and ridiculousness in their limited cameos as well.
Guy Lodge of Variety says Jennifer Lopez glows as the romantic comedy’s leading lady in what is ultimately a flick “just peculiar enough to be memorable.” The plot plays out exactly according to the formula, Lodge says, but the movie is “aggressively stolen by Betty Gilpin.” More from his Office Romance review:
A welcome shot of acid, however, comes from invaluable supporting player Betty Gilpin, as Jackie’s hawk-eyed, heavily pregnant deputy Sydney, opposing the budding romance with vehement, borderline-irrational hostility. Spitting her lines out like needles, glowering through her scenes with consistent, focus-pulling intensity, she imbues a stock best-friend part with such specific, vituperative heat that you wonder what kind of warped, electric love story this might have been with her opposite, well, either of the leads.
David Ehrlich of IndieWire gives it a B-, writing that Office Romance would be as formulaic as it gets if not for “its admirably deep bench of deranged supporting characters.” The Netflix movie overall lacks the charm, wit or chemistry needed to spark much interest — the critic says, even as he admits it contains a little of all three — but any movie with Betty Gilpin is worth our time. Ehrlich continues:
Lopez and Goldstein don’t exactly light up the screen together, telegenic as they are, and it takes a long while before their characters relax enough for their flirtation to move past the stilted phase. Rather than sink into the sinews of their dynamic, Office Romance prefers to vamp with various other bits of business, which range from lightly amusing (Bradley Whitford as a lawsuit-happy lawyer who almost chokes to death on a burrito), to laugh-out-loud funny (Gilpin trying to waddle up a flight of stairs), to somewhat hackneyed (Tony Hale as an HR manager scandalized by Daniel’s liberal use of the word “c--t”).
Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post gives it 1.5 stars out of 4, writing that amongst Office Romance’s many sins is how it wastes so many recognizable stars. However, this critic agrees that Betty Gilpin is the standout. Of Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, Oleksinski says:
Even if Goldstein’s writing, in corporate parlance, leaves room for improvement, as an actor he’s Office Romance’s employee of the month. His honest, rough-around-the-edges TV persona from Ted Lasso wipes some of the vaseline off the camera lens. He draws us in with charm and mystery, and is both sensitive and unglamorous. Not Lopez though. She’s always nice to see, like a visiting aunt. But she doesn’t have much chemistry with her co-star, in part because the script he wrote isn’t genuinely romantic. At one point, a tumbleweed rolled through my tear ducts.
Perhaps Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein’s flirty energy is backfiring on them now that Office Romance has hit the 2026 movie release schedule, because while things definitely get steamy, nobody seems to be adding anything unexpected to the romantic comedy genre. Except Betty Gilpin. Every review that I read mentioned her as a highlight of the movie. If you want to check this movie out, Office Romance is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription.
