What works for the film is how unhinged Kroc is and the way he is presented as a straightforward asshole. There is absolutely no gray area at all – Kroc is the very definition of an opportunist spineless businessman as we go through a series of montages containing his rapid-fire business dealings.

The ending feels a bit rushed as everything wraps up a bit too soon. But as the credits roll, with Ray Kroc’s voice delivering a speech over soft music, you leave feeling more insightful about the billion-dollar corporation. 

John Lee Hancock’s film is tougher on its subject than I expected it to be; Kroc is shown neglecting his wife, dumping her once he’s successful, manoeuvring the franchise out of the hands of the hapless Mac and Dick. Yet, even this hard-nosed opportunism is presented as a kind of ode to capitalism and straight-talking American gumption. When Kroc first lays eyes on the golden arches, he gazes up at them in awe. We get the McVision, without the McIrony.

The minutiae of the fast food business is explained and then extolled. At times, the film resembles a deftly made piece of advertising, with an end scroll helpfully telling audiences that McDonald’s feeds 1% of the world’s population every day. The resemblance to a corporate video becomes complete when actual footage from the McDonald’s archives is used to depict the corporation’s global march.