Critic Reviews

There really needs to be more stories told like Bob Trevino Likes It, about the good that people can do in the world for strangers. It’s heartwarming and eventually heartbreaking with where the story goes, but the purity that Leguizamo gives off is so strong that it’s a career-defining role (in a lifetime of memorable performances). Kudos to Tracie Laymon for bringing it all together to make a modern classic.

What stands out most about Tracie Laymon’s debut feature is how courageously, unapologetically earnest it is—that it was based on her own experiences only adds an extra level of vulnerability.

This wonderfully personal story is filled to the brim with a seemingly endless reservoir of laughs and tears. It's an experience that won't just have you liking Bob Trevino Likes It, it will have you loving it.

Bob Trevino spins a fascinating story into a superb movie with stellar performances from its two leading stars.

Leguizamo may give one of his career-best performances in the feature, but it’s Ferreira’s surprising command onscreen that is the most memorable.

Together, Leguizamo and Ferreira share a chemistry as warm and lively as the campfire their characters share over one meteor-filled night.

Any dramatic convenience can be forgiven as the platonic chemistry between Ferreira and Leguizamo feels natural, empathetic and genuine. And as they both begin to let down their guards, it’s a pleasure to watch them; so much so, in fact, that it doesn’t really matter that the characters in their orbit are far less vividly sketched.

Laymon expertly crafts a narrative that feels as universal as it is unique. This film embraces a hopeful path, expressing with absolute sincerity that believing in the humanity of others is essential to healing.

With two wonderful performances by Barbie Ferreira and John Leguizamo––playing two strangers who share the same last name but are otherwise unrelated––the film progresses into a moving yet somewhat predictable affair. And that’s okay.

Bob Trevino Likes It, the feature film debut from award-winning short film and web series director Tracie Laymon, wistfully and powerfully recaptures a more guileless era in our digital lives—which the Facebook interface and the lead character’s cracked second-gen iPhone put at around 2010.