Funny and touching, it’s a tribute to the tenacity of mothers, the vibrancy of New York City, and the importance of community as well as family.

| Feb 13, 2024

This was a very authentic and progressive reflection of the 90's in the Bronx and somehow doesn't feel dated. It's a very distinct vibe that really works because of the amazing talent that is Lauren Vélez.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 25, 2023

Even though we're following a relatively toxic relationship, this is a great time capsule of the times and Bronx. The performances were solid and the soundtrack was great.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 25, 2023

Martin pries spirited performances from her young cast. She shepherds the striking Velez winningly from her stage work into an inspired film performance, and she wrenches both machismo and vulnerability from Seda. Rita Moreno also does a fine turn.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

It’s a startlingly original work from a director with solid storytelling skills and visual panache.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 2, 2022

This feisty comedy-drama about a young couple struggling to raise a family and salvage their relationship is a remarkable first film, imbued with a strong cinematic style and a depth of writing lacking in most big-budget Hollywood features.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

As the movie progresses, just when you think a cliché is coming, the camera wards it off by shifting to the subtler viewpoint. In this way, a bright urban comedy yields emotional truths about pride, doubt, selfhood and love.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Mar 2, 2022

It's a heck of a debut by a filmmaker who's obviously drawn to complex human predicaments. complex human predicaments. Besides, any film that takes "Try a Little Tenderness" as its theme song has its heart in the right place.

| Mar 2, 2022

I Like It Like That looks more unconventional than it is, but Martin puts a spin on the material with lots of human color and high energy.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

Lauren Velez, who plays Lisette, gives a riveting performance. She anchors the film in everyday domestic reality and propels it ahead into uncharted territory.

| Mar 2, 2022

A lusty, lively portrait of life.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

The film demands to be taken on its own terms as a romantic comedy. The message that Lisette can do much better on her own without the help of any of the men in her life is well argued.

| Mar 2, 2022

This film is one of the most pleasant surprises of the year so far. Martin doesn’t put a foot wrong. She's definitely a name to watch,

| Mar 2, 2022

Martin, as screenwriter and director, maintains an extraordinary sense of control over this unique material for a first-time director. I Like It Like That is constantly surprising, for the plot twists it avoids as much as for its originality.

| Original Score: A- | Mar 2, 2022

Bristling with warmth and intelligence, it's an engaging film that will leave you on a high.

| Mar 2, 2022

Like It is a richly textured story of Lisette's struggle to set herself apart from the soul-sapping entropy of her surroundings, often to comic effect.

| Original Score: B+ | Mar 2, 2022

From its wittily choreographed opening shot onwards, the film crackles with unforced comedy and invention.

| Mar 2, 2022

I Like It Like That isn’t quite as accomplished as Crooklyn, but it comes with the same mixture of nostalgia, stress and a certain urban comfort.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Mar 2, 2022

Martin draws an appealing performance from Velez, who convincingly conveys Lisette's mixture of pride, humiliation, vulnerability and growing strength. Seda is fine as the none-too-aware man-child Chino. Melly, at 10, is already coolly self-possessed.

| Original Score: 2.5/4 | Mar 2, 2022

Martin’s debut is fast-moving, funny and hugely entertaining.

| Mar 2, 2022