Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 76 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Focusing on the good times as it chronicles John Candy's life and career, I Like Me gathers those who knew and loved the iconic actor for a bittersweet retrospective that feels like a cathartic group hug." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter rated the film positively, calling it a "big-hearted documentary that's as embracing and generous of spirit as the man himself". Tim Grierson of Screen Daily gave a mixed review, calling the film "an appealing, ultimately melancholy tribute to the late Canadian comic," adding, "I Like Me contains interviews with such comedy luminaries as Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Bill Murray and Catherine O'Hara, who speak with endless affection about the late star of hits like Splash and Planes, Trains & Automobiles [...] Although a somewhat conventional portrait, the film works best as a lament for a talented actor who struggled to reach his full potential before passing away far too young." Jason Bailey of RogerEbert.com was more critical, giving it 2.5 out of 4 stars, describing some of the structuring choices as "downright baffling" and continuing, "little to no interest is paid to Candy's considerable growth as an actor over the course of his career—particularly in the last few years of his life." However, he praised the archive material, writing, "We're treated to copious home videos, rare outtakes from his movies and footage from his stage performances, family photos, the works."
