Netflix's New 115-Minute Jennifer Lopez Movie Doesn't Impress the Critics on Rotten Tomatoes - MCE Notices | California State Portal

Summer is officially here and, with it, the movie season has already started. With multiple hits out in theaters, Netflix just treated subscribers to a new original movie: Office Romance.

The new romantic comedy stars Jennifer Lopez in the leading role, opposite Ted Lasso fan favorite Brett Goldstein. The film is one of Netflix’s many additions in June, kickstarting the month with a feel-good release. However, critics weren’t impressed, giving the film a “rotten” 50% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Granted, the ratings come from only 20 reviews, so it’s likely to fluctuate as more opinions come through. However, it doesn’t exactly put the film off to a great start. There is no audience score at the time of writing, but the early reviews seem more encouraging.

What Happens in Office Romance?

The new Netflix raunchy romantic comedy Office Romance follows, as the headline indicates, a secret office romance, and the trouble they get when they get into the romance too deeply. It stars Lopez and Brett Goldstein, marking Lopez’s third Netflix movie.

Jennifer Lopez has been mixing her love for acting with her music career for several decades and finally returned to the genre she shines in most: rom-coms. Unofficially known as the Queen of Rom-Coms (alongside a series of other early 2000s queens of rom-coms like Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, and more).

Lopez led several cult-classic rom-coms, including Maid in Manhattan, Monster-in-Law, and The Wedding Planner, among others. The new release was specifically written Lopez, Goldein, who co-wrote the script with his Ted Lasso collaborator Joe Kelly, revealed.

“We felt like we hadn’t seen a great one in a long time,” the Ted Lasso star told Tudum. “We were both like, ‘Who’s your dream person to make a rom-com with?’ Without hesitation, we were both like, ‘J.Lo, because she’s the best rom-com actor.’ So we decided to write one for her.”

Goldstein continued, “So we sent it to her with a note that said, ‘We wrote this for you. You’re at the top of our list. It’s a list of one. If you don’t do this, we’re not going to make this film, but no pressure. Hope you enjoy it!'”

What Is Office Romance About?

Ana Carballosa/Netflix

The new romantic comedy divided critics, as some believed the chemistry was there, but others complained that the dialogue was clucky and not very polished.

Among the positive reviews, ScreenRant’s Alex Harrison wrote, “It’s a little shaggy, perhaps, and I inevitably found myself missing the shot-on-film glow that did so much for the movies of that bygone era. But I can’t really complain. My default state watching Office Romance was a giddy smile.”

USA Today’s Brian Truitt shared, “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.”

Blu-ray.com’s Brian Orndorf gave Office Romance a negative review, “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.”

AV Club’s Monica Castillo argues, “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.”

Audiences who checked the rom-com immediately after release praised the film, with one review hyping Office Romance, “Absolutely amazing and funny!! Jennifer is truly the Queen of rom-coms and you can’t say no to Office Romance!”

Office Romance is streaming on Netflix.