Johnson Thomas
Cringe inducing Generic RomCom
Film: Office Romance (2026)
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Brett Goldstein, Amy Sedaris, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, Edward James Olmos, Jodie Whittaker, Mary Wiseman
Director: Ol Parker
Rating: * *
Runtime: 115 m
Netflix’s “Office Romance” starring Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, is a drab affair. Meant to be a romcom, this one makes you tear your hair out rather than laugh. The setting is pretty, Jennifer Lopez looks well-maintained and hot, but Brett Goldstein does not match-up and neither does the writing and direction. The standardised mix-ups and misunderstandings are so low-key that they fail to draw a laugh. This film is not just disappointing, its turgid.
Jackie (Lopez), President and CEO of Air Cruz, a nepo kid who has to prove herself time and time again to her board of Directors, falls foul of her company’s strict no fraternization policy, by falling for her company Lawyer Daniel Blanchflower (Brett Goldstein).
The meaningless opening showing our principal characters on two different dates going south, does nothing to generate interest. Then we see the top lawyer at Cruz Airlines (Bradley Whitford) choking on a burrito and becoming indisposed. So its up to stiffly turned out, efficient, new on the job, Daniel to represent Jackie at a deposition, in his place.
Much of the contretemps here is contrived and lazy. The issues of law don’t hold water either. The relationship between Jackie and her father “Captain Jack” (Edward James Olmos) comes across as sketchy. Jackie’s very pregnant assistant Sydney (Betty Gilpin), who ends up delivering in the office one day and coming back to work the next day, is the only one who makes her presence felt. The company’s beleaguered HR director (Tony Hale) comes in a distant second.
The board meetings also seem insufferable when discussing Jackie’s worth to the company. When the board decides on Jackie’s fate it sounds preposterous. As for Daniel impressing Jackie, it doesn’t hit the sweet note. He is too stiff and unyielding and there’s no chemistry between the two, to make their romance even halfway believable. Their getting close and personal while on an official trip to the Dominican Republic doesn’t convince either.
The tone is too mild even with the crude sexual overtones and the dick jokes. The storyline is pure fantasy. Just as oil and water don’t mix so also Daniel and Jackie. Their romance feels manufactured. The cultural conflicts don’t raise a laugh. The dialogue sounds silly and stilted.
Brett Goldstein, co-wrote the script with Joe Kelly and managed to write himself into the movie too but he did not write up a suitable role for himself. Throughout the movie he stands out like a sore thumb. It’s a pity that Ol Parker, director of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, couldn’t make this effort more lovable.
Costume designer Caroline Duncan’s (“Marry Me”) efforts to trump up Lopez’s sex appeal must be given due credit. But it’s a lost cause when the chosen paramour only mouths words and fails to make it count with expression, passion or action. Even cameraman Robert Yeoman’s efforts to spice up the visuals fall flat.
The worn out formula with unlikely twists and underwhelming treatment makes for strenuous viewing. Typical worn out genre elements, clumsy setup, a disastrous pairing and a deadened tone makes this romcom wearisome.
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