Rom-Coms Are Back: Brett Goldstein and Jennifer Lopez Deliver the Best Office Romance in Years

If you thought the romantic comedy as a genre had quietly died a death and been left for streaming algorithms to shovel onto the ‘comfort watch’ pile, you wouldn’t be far wrong. Decent rom-coms have been thin on the ground in the last decade, and the ones that do drop on Netflix usually land with a dull thud rather than anything memorable. But lo and behold, along comes 'Office Romance', which just might be the best shot in the arm this genre has had in ages—and yes, that does include the recent run of Jennifer Lopez vehicles, some of which have been, let’s say… not her strongest work.

The Setup

We're talking a CEO, Jackie Cruz (played by Jennifer Lopez—who’s basically built for this sort of thing) running a New Jersey airline called AirCruz with more stress than any job should legally allow, and trying not to get ousted by her own board. Enter Brett Goldstein (the very same gruff charmer from 'Ted Lasso') as Daniel Blanchflower, an uptight British lawyer now living in the US, mainly because he’s got to keep an eye on his sister Lizzy (Jodie Whittaker), currently doing time.

The plot’s not a reinvention of the wheel: new lawyer meets powerful boss, sparks fly, but there’s a strict no-fraternisation policy at AirCruz and a truckload of personal baggage hovering over both of them. Jackie’s still haunted by her rubbish ex-husband and the general menace of her own father (Edward James Olmos as Captain Jack Cruz, both founder of the airline and expert at undermining his own daughter). Meanwhile, Daniel’s career and personal life are tangled up because of his sister’s legal woes, and airing his feelings for the boss could torpedo everything.

Why It Works (When Practically Nothing Else Has Lately)

Most romantic comedies drag out the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ until you’re screaming at your screen for someone to just snog already. Not this one—it gets Lopez and Goldstein together fairly quickly and then spends the rest of the film actually dealing with why holding their romance together is such a nightmare. It’s a bit of a twist, if we’re honest, and a welcome one.

The big selling point: chemistry. Genuinely, from their very first scene together, Lopez and Goldstein feel like they could start a fire by standing next to each other. The dynamic is effortless, both when they’re making eyes at each other and when things are more awkward. They've somehow achieved the one thing that most Netflix rom-coms can only dream of: actual romantic tension.

Who Else Is in the Mix?

• Bradley Whitford as Peter Vance, AirCruz’s head counsel (who drops out just as the plot demands it)
• Jodie Whittaker as Lizzy, Daniel’s sister with a problematic past
• Edward James Olmos as the formidable Captain Jack Cruz
• Betty Gilpin as Sydney, Jackie’s best mate and colleague, watching the mess unfold
• Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale (hilariously burnt-out as HR boss), Will Sasso, Mary Wiseman, Roger Bart, Michelle Hurd, Lisa Gilroy all round out the supporting cast

Is It Actually Funny—or Just Rude?

They’ve pitched 'Office Romance' as raunchy—and to be fair, it isn’t squeamish. If you’re expecting something as out-there as 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin', maybe dial it back a notch, but it does deliver some moments that will raise eyebrows (hint: you get both an on-screen erection and a childbirth scene, in the same film—can’t say we’ve seen that before).

It’s not all gags about sex and rude words (though, for the record, this might actually be the American film that drops the c-word the most times—someone at the BBFC probably needed a lie-down afterwards). Still, most of the laughs come from the dialogue and the interactions, rather than just shock value or bodily functions. Profanity is pretty much everywhere—it’s R-rated, after all—but there’s actually more swearing than naked people on show.

The Brains Behind It

You can thank Brett Goldstein himself for the script, co-writing with Joe Kelly (both of whom worked together on 'Ted Lasso', and if you’ve seen that, you’ll know the sort of balance they strike between sentimentality and genuine wit). Director Ol Parker (‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, 'Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again') keeps things zipping along, although the whole airline office shtick could have been milked a bit more, to be honest. There’s the odd office politics moment and Tony Hale’s HR scenes give it some extra bite, but mostly, the forbidden workplace stuff is just set dressing to push the two leads together.

The script avoids most of the genre’s usual clangers—unconvincing plot contrivances, cardboard characters, or anything that rings entirely false. Does it still tick off the usual rom-com boxes? Of course it does, but at least it feels lived-in and authentic rather than algorithmically generated.

Worth the Watch?

The film’s nearly two hours but flies by (pun unintended), mainly because Lopez and Goldstein are magnetic any time they share a frame. A couple of the side stories could have done with a bit more fleshing out, and if you’re looking for sharp satire in a workplace, you’ll be left wanting. But as far as actual romantic comedies go—ones that are both hot and actually funny—this is the strongest entry in years. Even with the genre practically on life support, 'Office Romance' manages to make falling for your boss on company time look like tremendous fun.

'Office Romance' lands on Netflix from 5th June.