The Founder

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The Founder

PG-13

2017

1h 55m

Biography

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

244 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

The true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac (John Carroll Lynch) and Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman), who were running a burger operation in the 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Kroc soon maneuvers himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a multi-billion dollar empire.

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Critics Consensus

The Founder puts Michael Keaton's magnetic performance at the center of a smart, satisfying biopic that traces the rise of one of America's most influential businessmen -- and the birth of one of its most far-reaching industries.

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Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Feb 19, 2017

2/5

Hancock's bland biopic offers a sanitised and sympathetic take on the burger chain's beginnings and the man who turned it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Feb 17, 2017

4/5

One of the many pleasures in John Lee Hancock's study of the man who made McDonald's an empire is its reminder that even the simplest ideas need to be invented.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

Feb 16, 2017

3/5

The man, played with dark relish by Michael Keaton, has the fabulous name of Ray Kroc (there is a suitably reptilian air to his grin as he says things such as: "Contracts are like hearts. They're made to be broken").

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

Aug 12, 2024

4/5

This is definitely a film to watch – not only as a real “eye-opener” into the success of the world’s most recognisable fast-food chain, but also for Keaton’s dedicated and enthusiastic performance.

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

Apr 6, 2023

John Lee Hancock's The Founder is the perfect movie for a country that has just chosen a vapid brand for its chief executive.

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Nov 1, 2022

8/10

Thanks to a strong, character-focused script by Robert Siegel (The Wrestler) and engaging performances across the board, it all turns out to be pretty riveting stuff.

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Brahnavan B

@i_love_movie_theatres_more_than_u Sep 7, 2026

Very underrated motivational flick about hard work, with great performances from Michael Keaton and Nick Offerman especially, presented through a true story about McDonalds.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

The Founder = a *4* star Movie!

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Joshua M

@Flameon Aug 6, 2026

I never knew the story behind McDonalds. You wouldn't think that a story about a hambuger franchise would be all that compelling but it is a well crafted film.

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Josh G

@Parsifal83 Jul 31, 2026

A solid biopic that tells an undeniably fascinating story, but like so many films in the genre, it rarely finds a deeper cinematic perspective on its subject. It recounts the rise of Ray Kroc well enough, yet never transcends the material or justifies why this story needed to be told as a film rather than as a documentary.

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Jess S

@RT25861954 Jul 29, 2026

Boring topic but decently acted.

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Brayden G

@DeadShotVibe802 Jul 3, 2026

Great movie on how McDonald’s became a franchise

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John Lee Hancock

Director

Michael Keaton

Ray Kroc

Nick Offerman

Dick McDonald

John Carroll Lynch

Mac McDonald

Laura Dern

Ethel Kroc

Linda Cardellini

Joan Smith

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Synopsis

The true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton), a struggling salesman from Illinois, met Mac (John Carroll Lynch) and Dick McDonald (Nick Offerman), who were running a burger operation in the 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers' speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. Kroc soon maneuvers himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a multi-billion dollar empire.

Director: John Lee Hancock
Producer: Don Handfield, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Ryder
Screenwriter: Robert D. Siegel
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: The Weinstein Company, Faliro House, The Combine, FilmNation Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.8M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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