How to Watch The Alienist on Netflix in the US with a VPN (2026)

The Alienist is currently available on Netflix in South Korea. The official Netflix South Korea page for The Alienist currently lists the crime drama starring Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning, so South Korea is the primary Netflix country to use for this guide.

Netflix US does not currently carry The Alienist. The US Netflix page currently says the title is unavailable in the country. Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN all currently provide South Korean VPN locations.

A VPN can give your connection a South Korean IP address, but Netflix may recognize the connection and restrict what you can watch. Netflix explains in its official VPN guidance that VPN users may only see titles for which Netflix has worldwide licensing, so access to The Alienist is not guaranteed.

How to watch The Alienist on Netflix with a VPN

South Korea is the Netflix country to try for The Alienist. Connect to a South Korean VPN location before opening Netflix so the service sees the Korean IP address when it loads its catalog.

1. Choose a VPN. Private Internet Access is the first recommendation, followed by ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
2. Download and install the VPN app.
3. Connect to South Korea.
4. Fully close Netflix if it is already open.
5. Reopen Netflix after the VPN connects.
6. Sign in with your existing Netflix account.
7. Search for The Alienist.
8. Start playback if the series appears.

South Korea is currently the best region because the current Netflix South Korea listing directly shows The Alienist in the regional catalog. You can use your existing Netflix account rather than creating a separate South Korean account.

Best VPNs for watching The Alienist on Netflix

All three recommended VPNs currently offer South Korea as a selectable location. PIA also provides a KR Streaming Optimized option, while ExpressVPN specifically lists Seoul.

VPN	South Korea option	Option to try first
Private Internet Access	South Korea and KR Streaming Optimized	KR Streaming Optimized
ExpressVPN	Seoul, South Korea	Seoul
NordVPN	South Korea, one city location	Automatic South Korea connection

1. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is the Editor’s Choice for The Alienist because it provides both a regular South Korea location and a dedicated KR Streaming Optimized option. PIA’s current server directory lists both choices.

Start with KR Streaming Optimized. Open the PIA app, search for South Korea or streaming, select KR Streaming Optimized, and connect before reopening Netflix.

If The Alienist does not appear, disconnect and try the regular South Korea location instead. You can also reconnect to obtain a different VPN connection before restarting Netflix.

The official PIA server list currently confirms both South Korea options. PIA does not guarantee that Netflix will accept every VPN IP address.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the second recommendation. Its official South Korea server page says users can connect to a Seoul server and receive a South Korean IP address.

ExpressVPN does not classify South Korea as a virtual location. Its current virtual server documentation says locations not included on its virtual list use physical servers within the specified country.

Open ExpressVPN, select South Korea, and connect to Seoul before reopening Netflix. If The Alienist does not appear, disconnect and reconnect to refresh the VPN session.

The ExpressVPN South Korea page confirms Seoul and a South Korean IP address, while its virtual server list does not include South Korea. Netflix access is still not guaranteed.

3. NordVPN

NordVPN is the third recommendation. Its current server directory lists South Korea as an available country with one city location.

You can select South Korea in the NordVPN app and let it choose a server automatically. NordVPN also includes SmartPlay, which activates automatically as soon as you connect to a NordVPN server. There is no separate SmartPlay setting to enable.

After connecting, fully close Netflix and reopen it before searching for The Alienist. If the series does not appear, disconnect and reconnect to South Korea so NordVPN can establish a different connection.

The official NordVPN server list currently confirms South Korea as a supported location. A South Korean IP address does not guarantee that Netflix will accept the VPN connection.

What to do if The Alienist does not appear

If Netflix loads but The Alienist is missing, refresh both your VPN connection and Netflix session before trying again.

1. Close Netflix completely.
2. Disconnect from the VPN.
3. Reconnect to South Korea.
4. Try another South Korean connection or server when available.
5. Clear Netflix cookies and your browser cache.
6. Open a private or incognito browser window.
7. Reopen Netflix and sign in again.
8. Search for The Alienist.

PIA users should try KR Streaming Optimized first and then the regular South Korea location. ExpressVPN users can reconnect to Seoul, while NordVPN users can reconnect to South Korea and allow the app to choose another connection.

Netflix may display a VPN or proxy warning if it recognizes the connection. Its VPN and proxy troubleshooting guidance confirms that VPN services can trigger this error. Netflix catalogs can also change, so verify the South Korean title page again if The Alienist stops appearing.

Netflix may detect the VPN

A VPN changes the IP address and apparent country Netflix sees, but a South Korean IP address does not guarantee access to the South Korean catalog. Netflix’s current VPN policy says viewers using a VPN may only see titles for which Netflix has worldwide licensing.

That means Netflix may recognize the VPN and hide The Alienist even when your IP address appears to be in South Korea. Reconnecting may sometimes change the result, but no VPN provider can guarantee access to a specific Netflix title.

Can you use a Netflix ad-supported plan with a VPN?

No. Netflix says VPNs are not supported with its ad-supported experience. Its official VPN error guidance tells viewers using an ad-supported experience to turn off the VPN.

Does changing the VPN location change your Netflix account?

No. Your Netflix email address, password, profiles, and account credentials stay the same when you connect to South Korea. You do not need to create a separate Korean Netflix account.

The VPN changes your public IP address and apparent network location. If Netflix accepts the connection, the visible catalog may change. The current Netflix US page says The Alienist is unavailable in the US, which is why South Korea is useful for this guide.

Which VPN should you use?

Private Internet Access is the first recommendation because South Korea is a verified Netflix region for The Alienist and PIA provides a dedicated KR Streaming Optimized location alongside its regular South Korea option.

ExpressVPN is second because it provides a South Korean IP address through its Seoul server. NordVPN is third and supports South Korea while also providing SmartPlay automatically whenever you connect.

South Korea is currently the Netflix country to try for The Alienist. Netflix’s official South Korean page currently lists the series, while Netflix US marks it unavailable. Netflix availability and VPN detection can change, so verify the catalog again if the show stops appearing.