Office Romance (2026 film)

Jackie Cruz is the iron-willed CEO and President of Air Cruz, a major airline founded by her demanding father. Constantly under intense scrutiny from the company board and desperate to earn her father's respect, Jackie runs a remarkably tight ship. This includes enforcing a rigid, non-negotiable anti-fraternization policy across all tiers of the company. Jackie's hyper-focus on her career has left her with a meticulously built but completely isolated personal life.

The status quo is disrupted by the arrival of Daniel Blanchflower, a reserved British attorney unexpectedly hired as the company's new legal counsel. Daniel, who recently relocated to the United States due to complicated family obligations, is assigned a high-stakes litigation case that forces him to work closely with Jackie. Despite their stark cultural differences and Jackie's imposing demeanor, the two share an immediate, underlying professional chemistry. Daniel initially manages to impress Jackie during a corporate deposition, though their proximity severely tests the very corporate boundaries Jackie instituted.

The case requires Jackie to personally pilot her private plane for a deposition trip to the Dominican Republic, leaving her completely alone with Daniel. In the tropical setting, away from the rigid confines of the corporate office, they drop their buttoned-up professional guards. Giving in to their mutual attraction, they begin a passionate romantic affair.

Upon returning to New Jersey, Jackie and Daniel go to extremes to conceal their relationship from the rest of the company. However, their efforts are constantly threatened by the chaotic antics of Daniel's wayward sister Lizzy, and various highly observant office colleagues. The stakes escalate dramatically when the opposing legal counsel attempts to weaponize Jackie's personal life against her, threatening the future of Air Cruz and her standing with her father and the board.

The corporate tension reaches a boiling point ahead of a crucial, make-or-break board meeting. While attempting to reach the corporate headquarters to defend both the company and their relationship, a chaotic series of logistical delays leaves Daniel trapped in the Holland Tunnel. At the exact critical moment, he manages to break through the traffic to arrive to the meeting.

Jackie and Daniel are forced to confront the difference between the rigid expectations of the corporate life they were "supposed to want" versus the vulnerable, authentic life in which they actually fit together. They successfully navigate the board's upheaval, rewrite the company's archaic HR rulebook, and openly embrace their relationship.

The film stars Brett Goldstein and Jennifer Lopez and was co-written by Goldstein with Joe Kelly for Netflix.^[2] Betty Gilpin joined the cast in February 2025.^[3] The following month, Edward James Olmos joined the cast, reuniting with Lopez after starring in Selena (1997) together, where they also played father and daughter.^[4] In April 2025, a number of cast members were announced including Bradley Whitford, Amy Sedaris, and Tony Hale.^[5]

It is produced by Aaron Ryder and Andrew Swett for Ryder Picture Company, along with Goldstein, Joe Kelly, Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, and Benny Medina for Nuyorican Productions via the company's first-look deal with Netflix.^[6]

Ol Parker joined the project as director in November 2024. Principal photography began in New Jersey in March 2025, with filming locations including Kenilworth.^[7][8][9] Peter Lambert serves as the editor.^[10]

Office Romance was released on Netflix on June 5, 2026.^[11][12]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 49% of 67 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Polished as a business presentation and just as impersonal, Office Romance is headed by a likable pairing but proves too content to follow the rules of standard rom-coms to nab a promotion into the C-suite."^[13]

Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 52 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[14]

Lisa Kennedy of The New York Times wrote, "The writers Goldstein and Joe Kelly attempt to cram a streaming season’s worth of character zigs into a two-hour film. Alas, the landing isn’t smooth."^[15] Monica Castillo of The AV Club 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."^[16]

In a positive review, Guy Lodge of Variety wrote, "Soft and cottony and just peculiar enough to be memorable, Office Romance gives the people what they want."^[17] Brian Truitt of USA Today wrote, "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."^[18]