Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Office Romance’ Lands on Rotten Tomatoes—Here’s What Critics Are Saying

Jennifer Lopez is back in the romantic comedy genre with Office Romance, but critics appear divided on whether the new film delivers enough laughs and heart.

The movie currently holds a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews, showing that reviewers are split between those who enjoyed its old-school charm and those who felt it relied too heavily on familiar formulas.

Directed by Ol Parker and written by Brett Goldstein and Joe Kelly, Office Romance stars Lopez as Jackie Cruz and Goldstein as Daniel Blanchflower. The film follows a workplace romance and features a large supporting cast that includes Betty Gilpin, Amy Sedaris, Tony Hale, Bradley Whitford, Jodie Whittaker, Edward James Olmos, and Rick Hoffman.

Many of the positive reviews praise the chemistry between Lopez and Goldstein. Alex Harrison of Screen Rant gave the film a 7 out of 10 score and said he spent much of the movie smiling. While he acknowledged that the film feels a little uneven at times, he wrote, “My default state watching Office Romance was a giddy smile.” Harrison’s review suggests that the movie succeeds as an enjoyable throwback to classic romantic comedies.

Ema Sasic of Next Best Picture was also impressed by the two leads. In her 7 out of 10 review, she said, “Seeing these two get steamy on screen is worth the price of admission (or subscription) alone.” Her comments highlight the appeal of Lopez and Goldstein’s on-screen relationship, which many viewers may see as the film’s biggest strength.

USA Today’s Brian Truitt was another critic who landed on the positive side. He gave the movie 3 out of 4 stars and noted that while the film uses many familiar romantic comedy elements, it balances them with broad humor. According to Truitt, “The film can’t escape all of the usual genre tropes or overt sentimentality, yet that’s tempered by a bawdy sense of humor and fits of wild broad comedy.”

David Ehrlich of IndieWire also offered a favorable review, giving the film a B-. Ehrlich focused on Lopez’s performance and screen presence, writing, “Office Romance suggests that Lopez is still determined to create a work-life balance on her own terms, and that’s reason enough to stick around for Jackie and Daniel’s happily ever after.”

Not every critic was convinced. Several reviewers felt the movie struggled to bring anything fresh to the genre. Brian Orndorf of Blu-ray.com gave the film a D+ and argued that the movie lacked warmth despite trying to be heartfelt. He wrote, “It’s far raunchier than it needs to be, and Parker struggles with sincerity, leaving matters awfully cold in a production attempting to produce warmth.”

The New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski was even harsher, awarding the film just 1.5 out of 4 stars. He argued that modern romantic comedies need new ideas rather than repeating old formulas. Oleksinski wrote, “I still love the genre. But the key to saving romantic comedies is not by replicating 25-year-old movies that haven’t aged particularly well with the same stars.”

Monica Castillo of AV Club was also disappointed. Giving the film a D-, she felt both the romance and comedy failed to connect. Castillo wrote, “While the romance here feels tenuous at best, the comedy is in even worse shape, often mistaking uncomfortable oversharing for punchlines. If this was meant to be a return to form for Lopez, it’s not a satisfying comeback.”

Deadline’s Pete Hammond echoed similar concerns. He argued that the screenplay depends too much on familiar romantic comedy conventions and said the story offers little that audiences have not seen before. Meanwhile, Lisa Kennedy of The New York Times felt the writers packed too many ideas and character moments into a single film, resulting in an uneven final product.

The overall reaction to Office Romance suggests that fans of traditional romantic comedies may find plenty to enjoy, particularly in the performances from Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein. However, many critics believe the film struggles to bring new energy to a genre that has changed significantly over the years. With a Rotten Tomatoes score sitting at 54 percent, Office Romance appears to be a movie that audiences may enjoy more than some of the critics who reviewed it.

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