Bob Trevino Likes It Is An Emotional Roller Coaster, And I Really Love How It Handles This One Topic

Bob Trevino Likes It is a movie I only heard of because I saw a trailer play during the showing of a different movie. I put it on my radar as an upcoming film to check out. I didn’t end up watching it, however, until it became available on Hulu. It’s one of the best movies to watch on the streaming service. I am a sentimental person, so I appreciate movies that make me feel. Movies that have heart, warmth, and a sense of hope in a sea of darkness.

Bob Trevino Likes It is one of those types of movies. It’s not exactly a feel-good or wholesome film, but one that tackles serious topics with a silver lining or a thread of optimism. The relationship with Bob (John Leguizamo) and Lily (Barbie Ferreira) is the main appeal of the movie, mainly because of the characters’ heartwarming connection, but also because of how it triggers a thought-provoking discussion on mental health.

Warning: Bob Trevino Likes It Spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.

I Think Bob Trevino Likes It Approaches Having A Selfish Parent In A Cathartic Way

Bob Trevino Likes It is a movie about an abusive father-daughter relationship. Lily’s father, Robert (French Stewart), is emotionally abusive, manipulative, and an extreme narcissist. In a sad and hilarious scene, Lily reveals to her therapist that her mother had a drug addiction and abandoned her. Her father stayed, but we see through their interactions that he’s toxic. He only seems to contact and communicate with her when he needs something.

Then he blames her when things don’t go right in his life. Lily only meets Bob because her father cuts her off when she accidentally lets Robert’s date know that he’s seeing multiple women. He then refuses to speak to her. She has to use Facebook to find him. Instead, she finds Bob.

Robert is clearly a terrible father. However, Lily doesn’t seem to fully grasp the awfulness of him and his behavior. It has been normalized because this type of toxic relationship has been a constant in her life. It’s all she knows. Bob shows her how a truly loving father figure should behave. Multiple movies show compelling father-son dynamics, but some of the most interesting movies focus on the father-daughter bonds.

That’s part of the appeal of Bob Trevino Likes It. It shows the considerate and giving father and the selfish and controlling one. They’re both necessary to contrast the vast difference in their attitude and behavior. Bob and Robert may also help people who have damaging relationships with their parents see a representation of a healthy and unhealthy parent-child bond. It may make them feel less alone, or seek out what they missed from their parent in a healing manner.

Robert is very ridiculous, but he feels like a fully dimensional version of this type of narcissistic and selfish character. A man who is incapable of being a loving father, because of his own mental health issues. Narcissism is as much a mental health problem as depression and anxiety. He should not be forgiven but understood and, if unwilling to seek help or change, eliminated from Lily’s life, or at the very least, have limited access to her.

It Highlights Lily’s Extreme Anxiety In A Profound Way

Lily has major anxiety. We see this in how she handles life. However, the scenes where she becomes irrational and frantic display this the best. The first is when she comes to Robert’s retirement home and tries to get him to speak to her. The second is when Bob has his heart attack. Lily doesn’t know what happened to him and shows up at his home. She even breaks into it.

Lily doesn’t understand the irrational decision of that action. At the time, she’s just so overwhelmed by the idea of being abandoned by her surrogate father. This scene shows the gravity of anxiety. I think many just associate it with being anti-social or an overwhelming fear of something or someone. However, anxiety can show itself in many ways, including irrational and destructive behavior. This is the case with Lily.

Bob Trevino Likes It also has another really powerful scene that showcases anxiety. It’s more of a traditional idea of it. Robert has scared Lily into believing that her childhood mistake has made her incapable of properly loving and owning a pet. Bob shows her that this isn’t true by making her hold a dog.

It’s such a heartbreaking moment in this movie because you truly understand the weight of Robert’s years of abuse. Her anxiety takes over with something so simple as holding a dog because she’s been so conditioned to believe she’s unable to take care of a pet or deserves its unconditional love.

Bob Trevino Likes It is one of the best movies I have seen on mental health, including depression and anxiety. It approaches these topics gently with care and concern.

The Film Works Because Of How It Explores Mental Health And Trauma, While Maintaining Some Comedy

Bob Trevino Likes It is a dramedy. However, some of the film’s best moments are the comedy parts. Lily's trauma dumps and makes her therapist cry. It’s so funny in a heart-wrenching way. The film is somber but also cheerful. It accepts that life sucks, but can also be quite beautiful and comical.

The movie captures the feeling of life. There are many great tragedies in it: You will cry, have your heart broken, and face many obstacles. Life is hard for everyone, but with the right attitude, you can even find humor in some of the tragic moments. That’s kind of the attitude that Bob Trevino Likes It demonstrates.

I Think It’s Important That Bob Trevino Likes It Shows How Human Connection Can Help With Mental Health

There are many ways to deal with mental health. Some more clinical like therapy, medication, and journaling, and more soul-fulfilling things like traveling, meditation, and human connection. Bob Trevino Likes It is very much a movie that advocates for person-to-person intimacy.

It can be healing. Lily still needs therapy, but her connection with Bob really helps heal her. It shows her how a father should act and treat his child. The connection also helps Bob deal with his grief and learn to finally live, not just exist. Human connection is an underrated coping tool. You may not need massive groups of people, but you need the right people to help you survive and thrive.

The Movie’s Positivity Made Me Appreciate It More

Bob Trevino Likes It tells a story of a woman who endures parental abuse to the point that it creates mental health struggles. However, somehow it’s a very uplifting and motivational movie. I think that’s why I loved Bob Trevino Likes it so much because it doesn’t view Lily and Bob’s story through a jaded lens. It views it through the idea that magic still exists in this world. It isn’t necessarily portrayed in the movie's idea of magic, but in the small things like meeting someone who heals a part of your soul.

This movie is one of John Leguizamo’s best, and it understands the human experience in a very empathetic way. Even with Robert, you know he sucks, but he is haunted by his own mental struggles. He’s oblivious to the pain he causes. Humans are complicated, and mental health makes things even more complex. We need more films like Bob Trevino Likes It to help showcase how these struggles manifest and can be overcome. It shows that light can break through darkness.

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