Bob Trevino Likes It Review: You’ve Got a Friend in Me

Bob Trevino Likes It reminds us that kindness goes a long way, and valuable human connections can present themselves in unexpected ways.

What makes the film even more remarkable is the fact that it’s based on writer/director Tracie Laymon’s real-life experience of meeting a warm-hearted stranger on Facebook, who forever changed her life.

At the beginning of Bob Trevino Likes It, we see Lily meeting up with her father Robert (French Stewart) for a meal. As he shows his daughter numerous photos of women that he’s currently dating whom he met online, he asks Lily which lady she finds the most attractive. Through this interaction, viewers quickly realize that Robert is extremely self-centered. Whenever Lily attempts to talk about herself, particularly her recent painful breakup, he dismisses her feelings and shifts the conversation right back to himself.

Thereafter, Lily is invited to dinner with her father and one of the ladies he’s been dating, but the evening takes a turn when Lily accidentally confuses the details of her father’s date with those of another woman that he had told his daughter about. As a result of this, Robert, who now likes to go by Bob as he thinks it sounds cooler, believes Lily is responsible for ruining his romantic relationship with this lady and completely cuts his daughter off. He refuses to answer her calls or speak to her in any capacity, which sends Lily into a downward spiral.

No one ever likes her posts on social media or acknowledges her existence online. All she really wants is to be loved and appreciated. Her father’s recent abandonment leads Lily to search for him on Facebook in hopes of rekindling their relationship. While trying to find her dad online, her message lands in the inbox of a kind, thoughtful gentleman who is the polar opposite of the Bob she has grown up with. This stranger on the other side of the screen does have one thing in common with her father, though. The exact same name: Bob Trevino.

Although it’s not every day that you hear about someone sending a message to a stranger online that they believe might be their dad and forming a lifelong friendship with them in the process, the themes explored in Bob Trevino Likes It are raw and relatable, which is what will resonate with people. The film explores how humans yearn for a sense of belonging and people’s desire to be loved and form connections, whether that be in a romantic capacity or a purely platonic one.

The Bob Trevino that Lily meets online might not be her actual father, but he provides her with everything she’s been lacking. For the first time in her whole life, she feels seen, and though this unlikely connection is an unexpected match, it’s one of two lost souls who find comfort in one another, which is truly special. Bob shows Lily the kindness that she never encountered during her upbringing, and she’s never known otherwise. Lily has been conditioned to believe that her challenging childhood was an ordinary one, but what she’s experiencing is normalized trauma. She’s spent her whole life pandering to other people and bending over backwards to please them, but it’s only when she connects with her adopted online father Bob that she discovers the true meaning of compassion, kindness, and how a father should actually treat their daughter.

On the other hand, Lily becomes the daughter that Bob never had, which allows him to express his paternal instincts. Like Lily, Bob also feels lonely, and they find comfort in one another. The story proves how powerful people’s words and actions can be and how kindness, encouragement, and support can brighten someone’s day in their darkest moments.

Ferreira and Leguizamo are the perfect on-screen pairing, and the emerging friendship that builds between Lily and Bob throughout the story feels genuine and sincere. As a viewer, you feel as though you’re watching two people forming a bond in real time, and it never feels scripted or forced. Ferreira is sensational as Lily and is destined for greatness in her career. The actresses’ ability to depict Lily as a sensitive, timid, tender-hearted woman while finding the right balance between each of those emotions is what makes the character authentic. The way she portrays the film’s protagonist allows the audience to experience every thought and feeling Lily is experiencing alongside her, as if it were their own journey. Leguizamo’s depiction of Bob is an equally moving and fantastic performance, which allows the character’s unwavering kindness and empathetic mindset to shine through.

Bob Trevino Likes It reminds us that the simplest act of humanity can leave a lasting impression on somebody. Being kind to people doesn’t take much effort and can change a person’s life for the better. Tracie Laymon’s true-life story inspires viewers to stop seeking validation from those who treat us poorly and to welcome unlikely connections that embody compassion. We all need a real-life Bob Trevino in our lives.

Bob Trevino Likes It will be released in theatres in the US and Canada on March 21, 2025.