Office Romance: What Exactly Did I Just Watch?

I just watched the new Jennifer Lopez movie Office Romance, and I’m honestly not sure what I watched. I asked myself, was it a comedy? Was it a romantic comedy? Was it… something else? I just didn’t get the vibe.

The movie stars Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein, and on paper, this should have worked. The love interest was a solid man, a solid 9 out of 10 for me, and she too is a solid 10 out of 10. The ingredients were there. Attractive leads. Workplace tension. Secret romance. A big-budget Netflix release. Yet somehow, for me, the whole thing felt cheesy… Not charmingly cheesy. Just… cheesy.

What’s interesting is that my reaction isn’t entirely unique.

When you juxtapose my feelings with many of the reviews coming out after the film’s release, a pattern starts to emerge.

Several critics described the movie as struggling to find its tone. Some felt it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be a classic Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy, a modern workplace satire, or an edgy R-rated comedy. Others complained that the humor felt forced and that the emotional connection between the characters never quite landed. Critics from major publications called it formulaic, awkward, and surprisingly lacking in warmth despite having two charismatic leads.

That said, not everyone hated it.

A number of viewers actually loved the chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein. Some fans described the pair as magnetic and said they would happily watch the movie again. Others appreciated that it wasn’t trying to reinvent the romantic comedy genre and simply wanted to entertain.

But even among viewers who enjoyed it, there was a recurring feeling that the film leaned heavily on familiar rom-com tropes. It often felt predictable, and many audience members found themselves seeing plot developments coming from miles away. And as a rom-com monger, I totally agree.

Maybe that’s why I kept waiting for something more.

I wasn’t asking for realism. We don’t watch rom-com for realism. Romantic comedies have never been documentaries. But I was looking for something that felt authentic. Something that made me root for the couple rather than simply acknowledge that they’re both attractive people on my screen.

Instead, I found myself wondering what kind of movie I was actually watching.

The strange thing about Office Romance is that it isn’t a complete disaster. Jennifer Lopez remains effortlessly watchable. I am a huge Lopez fan, I think I clapped enough for her in my post Jennifer Lopez from 20th May, 2023. Brett Goldstein has charm. The cast is talented. The production looks polished.

But good ingredients don’t always make a memorable meal.

In the end, Office Romance feels like a movie that knows exactly what it wants to be but never quite convinces the audience to come along for the ride.

Maybe that’s why, after the credits rolled, my biggest thought wasn’t whether I liked it or hated it.

It was simply:

“What exactly did I just watch?”

Author: Emaistace

wife, mom, sister, daughter, aunty, friend. writing my everyday thoughts as they pop up. View all posts by Emaistace