The 3 Absurd Storylines In Office Romance That Made The Movie For Me
Spoilers for Office Romance are ahead! Read with caution, and stream the film with a Netflix subscription.
Yes, Office Romance puts the rom in rom-com. Brett Goldstein and Jennifer Lopez’s chemistry is wonderful. However, I’d argue this movie, which was co-written by Goldstein and Joe Kelly, actually goes harder in the com department. Seriously, his film on Netflix’s 2026 schedule features three absurd storylines that are absolutely hilarious, and I can't deny that they totally made the movie for me.
When I say absurd, I mean there were multiple plot points in this film that went far beyond anything I could have ever imagined, and they were both wildly creative and delightfully unhinged. Ultimately, they helped keep me on my toes as the primary romance between JLo’s Jackie and Goldstein’s Daniel unfolded, and they’re also what made me appreciate this film so much.
Sydney’s Relentless Pursuit To Figure Out What’s Going On Between Jackie And Daniel
As reviews for Office Romance pointed out, Betty Gilpin’s performance as Jacki's second-in-command, Sydney, is undeniably funny. In fact, I think she steals the show. From the jump, she’s suspicious of Jackie and Daniel’s relationship, and the GLOW actress played that all out with an over-the-top passion that made me laugh out loud numerous times.
Plus, Sydney was very pregnant as all this was going down. However, she wouldn't let that get in her way, as she went into labor at the office and literally refused to push her baby out until she got a confession out of Daniel and Jackie.
All in all, Betty Gilpin gave a loud, unapologetic and truly hilarious performance that both emphasized how wild Sydney’s story was and served as the biggest highlight of the movie overall.
Peter Vance Going From Being A Lawyer To Working At A Food Truck
Bradley Whitford’s Peter Vance was making me laugh early in the movie after he choked on a breakfast burrito and drove his scooter haphazardly through the office. However, what really turned his story into an absurdly amusing one came later when it was revealed that he started working at a food truck after he left the airline company. And it’s important to note that he literally just works there; he does not own it; he “lives in service now.” He makes breakfast burritos with love and has “found [his] true calling.”
I was so happy for him, and I loved how his story came back around full circle right when Jackie needed him for some advice. It was a silly and surprisingly wholesome way to conclude his arc, and it helped drive the central romance forward.
Daniel’s Sister Is A Murderer
Literally, the whole reason Daniel goes to the US is to help his sister Lizzy (Jodie Whittaker) after she “chopped a guy’s head off with a machete” and was arrested. When I saw the trailer for Office Romance and wondered why an American airline company had a British man on their staff of lawyers, I did not think “because his sister was in prison for killing a man across the pond” would be the answer to my question.
However, I’m delighted it was. It was such a wild twist for this film to add, and I loved that Whittaker played Lizzy in such an unapologetically chaotic yet lovable way.
I also enjoyed how this all played into the greater romance, seeing as Daniel keeping Lizzy a secret from Jackie prompted them to break up (more so because Daniel was keeping secrets, not because Lizzy was a criminal). So, this additional storyline in this project on the 2026 movie schedule both added to our primary romance and provided a shocking backstory about our leading man and his criminal sister.
Absurd is genuinely the best word I can think of to describe the various subplots in Office Romance, and the movie is so much better because of them. They add unexpected and hilarious layers to an already nice rom-com, and as I said earlier, they really help put the com in rom-com in a way I really, really appreciate.
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