[SXSW 2024] BOB TREVINO LIKES IT -- A Heartwarming Directorial Debut

Review by Jonathan Berk

Vin Diesel said it best: Family. Love them or hate them, we ultimately need people. Fortunately, we aren't bound by blood to this idea. Writer and director Tracie Laymon, in her feature film debut, knocked this idea out of the park with B​ob Trevino Likes It. The story is incredibly touching and clearly personal. The performances in the film only heighten the emotional journey it takes us on. It is crazy as there are moments that will make you laugh, only to make you cry later. 
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Barbie Ferreira plays Lily Trevino, the embodiment of a people-pleaser. Overly apologetic and unbelievably accommodating, Lily finds herself estranged from her selfish father (French Stewart). While searching through Facebook, she befriends a man with the same name as her father (John Leguizamo). The two had no idea just how much they needed each other. 

Ferreira continues to demonstrate why she is one of the best talents coming out of the hit show Euphoria. From her role in Unpregnant and now this movie, she deserves to be on the top of any audition list. She can literally do it all. There are several shots in this film where she looks down the barrel of the lens and conveys everything the audience needs to know about what she is going through. It's a look, a sniffle, a twitch of the eye, and Ferreira communicates all the exposition one needs. It truly is an incredibly vulnerable performance with every ounce of humanity one could imagine. 

Leguizamo is a favorite, and he rarely disappoints. It's been great to see him flex his range as he ages into more and more character parts. His performance here is also subtle and often quite charming. There is a scene where Lily takes Bob to play basketball, which is incredibly funny. The two have great chemistry and work off each other so well. 

The biggest surprise is Stewart, though. I don't mean to imply he doesn't do great work, but he is so strongly tied to his Third Rock from the Sun character that seeing him play this role was a bit jarring. He is a character that is so terrible, but he genuinely has no idea that he is. He isn't playing it as a villain but instead as the victim. This makes his behavior all the more upsetting because you want him to know how awful he is, and he just doesn't. 

Of all the subgenres in the drama category, found family always strikes a nerve in me. When it's well-developed and feels genuine, it resonates even more. This film did everything so perfectly. I had a blast watching it despite moments of sheer dread. Every tear shed felt earned, and I left with a smile on my wet face. 

Bob Trevino Likes It is a marvelous film. It's clearly a love letter to the idea of a chosen family and a beautiful tribute to the real-life man and relationship it's based on. There is no question that Laymon has a distinct voice in this film, and it leaves me excited to see what she does next. 

Bob Trevino Likes It is screening at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which runs from March 8-16 in Austin, TX. 

Rating: 5/5