Bob Trevino Likes It
Often playing the role of caretaker to people like her father who should be caring for her, Lily Trevino longs for a familial connection, having been abandoned by her mother as a child and then suddenly by her father in her twenties. Bob Trevino works long hours to support his wife Jeanie’s scrapbooking habit. The couple has endured a lot, and Bob has sought to put his wife first, to the point of ignoring his own feelings and need for friendship, meaning, and connection. That is, until he gets an unexpected Facebook message from a stranger.
A real-life story of a young woman Facebook-stalking her father leads to a paternal friendship with an entirely different man inBob Trevino Likes It. In fact, the other guy is a total stranger — who just happened to have the exact same name as the woman’s actual dad. The new film is based on the inspiring true story of filmmaker Tracie Laymon, and the award-winning indie dramedy hits theaters July 27, 2025. The sensational Barbie Ferreira portrays her with utter grace, with the eponymous friendo who soon enters the heroine’s life portrayed a charming (and always reliable) John Leguizamo.
We all know Leguizamo. It’s hard to believe that the veteran Bronx native portrayed the tyrannical Tybalt almost 30 years ago in Baz Luhrmann’sRomeo + Juliet. Leguizamo is much more likable in this latest fatherly role, to put it mildly. But if you didn’t already know of Barbie Ferreira’s work, this will be a pleasant surprise. AfterexitingEuphoriafollowing Season 2’s conclusion, Ferreira has also been spotted as side characters in other projects, like thecreepy Prime Video filmHouse of Spoils. But they’re all no match for her wondrous leading turn in Roadhouse Attractions' upcoming release, a quietly beautiful and uplifting indie movie that is also no walk in the park by any means.Bob Trevino Likes Itwill strike a nerve in sentimental hearts and will stick in your mind as you tearfully mosey out of the theater.
Lily, Forever a Caretaker
There’s a good chance you’ve known someone who consistently puts the well-being of everyone else in their life first. The forever caretaker who refutes the notion of self-care, perhaps without even realizing it. On the big screen, the latest example is Lily Trevino (Ferreira), a young live-in aide who spends her free time posting on social media — without receiving any sort of engagement — and occasionally spending time with her impossibly selfish father, Robert (French Stewart, good to see you), who lives not too far away in a sort of retiree community.
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If you thought your eye-roll of a parent was a pain in the butt sometimes, wait till you witness Lily’s occasional meetups with Dad. Robert’s a habitual penny-pincher and narcissist who thinks he’s “still got it” with the ladies — despite the fact that he needs to rope in his daughter every time to assist with his endless pursuits for the next date. Is that what daughters are for? No, Robert, for Pete’s sake.
When the increasingly nauseating Robert botches yet another budding relationship and blames it — yet again, it seems — on his loving daughter, he decides to shut poor Lily out of his life. And when it’s clear that Lily’s physically disabled employer Daphne (the solid and sharp Lauren ‘Lolo’ Spencer) doesn’t exactly fulfill Lily’s need for a true pal — despite the fact that they’re similarly aged — Lily decides Dad’s still the answer. She tracks him down on the one social media platform where boomers are bound to be, Facebook.
Introducing Bob Trevino 2.0
When Lily notices an entirely different “Bob Trevino” (Leguizamo) instead, she reaches out and develops an online friendship. This new Bob even starts engaging with her frequent Facebook posts. “Bob Trevino likes it?” she asks herself aloud, seeing him do the “thumbs up” on all of her recent social content — hence the film’s title. And that’s where director Laymon introduces us to Bob’s modest, regular world.
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A childless but loving husband to chronic scrapbooker Jeanie (Rachel Bay Jones), Bob attempts to make ends meet at a struggling construction company years after they suffered a tragic family loss. And when Lily enters the picture in this unconventional way, maybe it’s a win-win to bring an extra ray of light into Bob’s world as well.
Ferreira Should Act Forever
Lily and Bob’s road to true connection — aka the notion of unconventional bonding between different generations — has certainly been explored in cinema before and will remind you of classic movies you’ve soaked up. Here, it all started with nothing but a simple name, which reminded me of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s heartwarmingnovelHave You Seen Luis Velez?Do give that one a go if you haven’t.Bob Trevino Likes Itis small-scale in nature but packs a punch if you stick with it to the finish line, thanks to a pair of superb leading turns that dare you to shed a tear.
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If the gushy ‘feels’ of this dramedy might seem a bit like overkill, fret not, since director Laymon manages to keep things lively with moments like a pair of standout “rage room” scenes, for example. Hey, they might even inspire you to take part in said novelty for your own mental well-being. Meanwhile, veteran character actor French Stewart nails the terrible-dad role, but almost to the point where it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.
Luckily, Ferreira has at least a few scenes that remind you she is a lovable star in the making. It’s no wonderBob Trevino Likes Ithas been crowned a winner of more than 10 audience awards at various film festivals. And the soon-to-come audience response in theaters is certain to be equally positive; we’re calling it now. From Roadside Attractions,Bob Trevino Likes Itwill be released in select theaters March 21.
