“Bob Trevino Likes It” Review – A Beautiful, Heartfelt Connection That Transcends Grief

Bob Trevino Likes It

Directed by Tracie Laymon

Written by Tracie Laymon

Starring Barbie Ferreira, John Leguizamo

Streaming Release Date: May 26th, 2025

Review Published: May 12th, 2025

Bob Trevino Likes It broke my heart in the way only a great movie can. By giving us two lovely, flawed, compassionate characters in Lily and Bob, writer-director Tracie Laymon invites us to share the loss she felt in real life when her friend Bob passed away. It’s a beautiful kind of grief—sad, yes, but filled with so much joy. You never want to lose someone like Bob, but when it inevitably happens and your memories are mostly laughter and light, the pain becomes a kind of joy too. A heartache soothed by recollection and meaning.

Barbie Ferreira stars as Lily Trevino, a lonely twenty-something living somewhere in Texas, working as a live-in caretaker for Daphne (Lolo Spencer), a recently disabled woman adjusting to life in a wheelchair. Lily’s only real family connection is her father Bob (French Stewart), the youngest man in his retirement community and a guy who constantly reminds Lily of the sacrifices he made raising her solo after her mom left.

But he’s not the Bob Trevino of the title.

That Bob Trevino—played with quiet brilliance by John Leguizamo—is a different man entirely. After a massive falling out with her dad, Lily searches for him online and accidentally messages a stranger with the same name. Bob, in his early 60s and adorably un-tech-savvy, replies right away. He’s naive about interacting with strangers on the internet—making him the perfect person to stumble across.

What begins as a curious DM evolves into an earnest, heartfelt back-and-forth. Lily wonders if they’re related; Bob doesn’t think so, but he doesn’t rule it out. Soon, he’s liking her goofy Facebook posts, and Lily feels a spark of connection she’s been missing for far too long. When a home emergency strikes, Bob shows up to help—in real life—and their friendship grows into something truly meaningful.

Importantly, Bob is married and immediately tells his wife Jeannie (Rachel Bay Jones) what’s going on. There’s no weird subtext here—just two people who genuinely need each other and meet at the right moment.

In short order, Bob becomes a kind of father to Lily, and their bond helps both of them grow. While the plot does follow traditional narrative beats, Tracie Laymon keeps the film grounded, offbeat, and utterly charming. It’s heartwarming, but it never tries to be—it simply is, thanks to the natural chemistry between Ferreira and Leguizamo.

This could’ve been one of those viral “wrong number becomes family” YouTube Shorts or feel-good TikToks, but Bob Trevino Likes It rises above all that. It’s more artful, more intimate, and more sincere than the typical algorithm-chasing content that floods social feeds. The film thrives in the small moments, the quiet character beats that build into something meaningful and memorable—unbothered by the need to fit into a neat, pre-packaged narrative.

Every smile, every laugh, every tear is earned here. It’s an emotional movie that never feels manipulative or overwhelming—it just feels whole. When the credits roll, you’re left with that rare and satisfying feeling that everything landed just right.

A movie like this may sound simple on paper, but it’s anything but. So many films want to be as honest and heartfelt as Bob Trevino Likes It, but few succeed. This one absolutely does.

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