Almost Holy shows the audience the true efforts and cost of heroism but also, with a truly charismatic character in Mokhnenko, the heart.

| Apr 13, 2021

Almost Holy... is a stunning cinematic portrayal of one man's mission to save, but it is hard to stomach (literally).

| Aug 6, 2018

Almost Holy is bleak, but ultimately hopeful, and wholly fascinating. Documentary fans should take note.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 31, 2016

Steve Hoover's film makes for a sympathetic,yet quietly critical portrait. John Pope's dark lensing and Atticus Ross's score add to the sense of unease and intrigue.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 27, 2016

Almost Holy is a deeply disturbing and shocking documentary portrait of life at its lowest ebb.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 22, 2016

Hoover is careful to balance Mokhnenko's tough-love philanthropy and hot-dog-guzzling geniality with his messianic egotism ...

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 21, 2016

Steve Hoover's documentary never questions Mokhnenko's right to play God with people's lives but builds a powerful portrait of the way one man has made a difference in a country that is no longer master of its own future.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 21, 2016

This gripping documentary about Gennadiy Mokhnenko, aka Pastor Crocodile, a controversial child-welfare activist in Ukraine, has the propulsive power and arc of a drama.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 21, 2016

Searchig for a concealed subtext seems unnecessary when the story itself is so extraordinary.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 19, 2016

A telling scene where he gets worked up about the "criticism" of him on his Wikipedia page hints at a darker side to his character, and he doesn't take kindly to a journalist querying his vigilante methods.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 18, 2016

The doc is maybe a little one-sided, but it's fascinating.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 18, 2016

The stories heard in Steve Hoover's film are as harrowing as the track marks on their arms. For all his noble intentions, though, 'Crocodile' Gennadiy sure loves the limelight, forcing us to speculate whether he works for God's glory or his own.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 18, 2016

Hoover's documentary is full of stimulating ideas and observations.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 17, 2016

In the end, we are left with a powerful account of one man determined to make a difference in a country that is spiralling far beyond any individual's control.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 15, 2016

This is a film that challenges us to accept a flawed protagonist. His faults do not negate his charitable work, but it is up to us to decide whether they make him less of a hero.

| Aug 5, 2016

Steve Hoover peels back multiple layers of Mokhnenko's story with artistry and acuity, assisted by a heady and propulsive score from composer Atticus Ross.

| Aug 4, 2016

... offers a powerful examination of one man's courage to inspire change in the face of culturally entrenched obstacles.

| Jun 17, 2016

Beautifully shot by John Pope, the story is sometimes caught in an endless loop of despair, but Mokhnenko's tough-love optimism for the orphans, and for a country caught up in war and rebellion, shines through.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 9, 2016

Director Hoover utilizes some tricky spot-focus to draw the audience in, and the grim yet entirely appropriate score by Atticus Ross provides a perfect complement to the events unfolding onscreen.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 2, 2016

Steve Hoover's documentary Almost Holy is a chilling look at just how not-good things got (and remained) in Ukraine after the Soviet Union collapsed.

| May 26, 2016