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

Bandit (2022) is available on Netflix in the United Kingdom. The official Netflix UK movie page confirms the crime thriller directed by Allan Ungar and starring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert, and Mel Gibson. Based on the true story of Canadian bank robber Gilbert Galvan Jr., the movie follows an escaped prisoner who assumes a new identity and begins robbing banks across Canada while trying to maintain a secret life.

Unfortunately, Bandit is not currently available on Netflix US. According to JustWatch’s US streaming information, American viewers can watch the film through services such as Tubi, Kanopy, and Hoopla instead. Netflix UK includes the movie in its subscription catalog, and Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN all provide British VPN connections.

However, connecting to a UK VPN server does not guarantee access to Netflix’s British movie catalog. Netflix may recognize VPN connections and restrict the available titles to movies with worldwide streaming rights. Its official VPN viewing guidance also confirms that VPN connections do not work with ad-supported subscriptions. Users should follow Netflix’s licensing restrictions and their VPN provider’s terms.

How to watch Bandit on Netflix with a VPN

Netflix UK currently lists Bandit, but actual playback depends on your physical location, subscription, account settings, and Netflix’s regional restrictions. The following steps explain how to check the movie using an eligible VPN connection.

1. Choose a VPN provider. Private Internet Access is our first recommendation because of its documented UK locations and streaming-optimized connection, followed by ExpressVPN and NordVPN.
2. Download and install the official VPN application on your Windows PC, Mac, smartphone, or another supported device.
3. Connect to a United Kingdom server if your physical location and provider terms permit it. PIA offers UK Streaming Optimized, ExpressVPN provides several British locations, and NordVPN operates servers in four UK cities.
4. Fully close Netflix before changing your connection. Exit the Netflix application or close all browser tabs running the streaming service.
5. Reopen Netflix after the VPN establishes a stable internet connection.
6. Sign in using your existing Netflix account and select the viewing profile you normally use.
7. Search for Bandit and confirm that the result identifies the 2022 film starring Josh Duhamel, Elisha Cuthbert, and Mel Gibson.
8. Start playback if Netflix displays the film and your location, subscription, and applicable service terms permit access.

You can compare the movie details with the official Bandit Netflix UK listing. The page identifies the movie as a 2022 crime drama and confirms English original audio and English subtitles.

The film runs for approximately 126 minutes. Josh Duhamel portrays Gilbert Galvan Jr., a fugitive who uses the identity Robert Whiteman while committing a series of bank robberies. Elisha Cuthbert plays Andrea, while Mel Gibson portrays Tommy, a criminal associate who becomes involved in Galvan’s activities.

Bandit draws inspiration from the real-life criminal known as the Flying Bandit, who became notorious for repeatedly robbing banks and jewelry stores across Canada.

Make sure you select the 2022 movie directed by Allan Ungar. Other movies and television productions also use the word Bandit in their titles, so checking the release year and cast helps avoid confusion.

Opening an official Netflix movie page does not automatically authorize playback. Netflix may recognize an active VPN and display only globally licensed movies. If the film does not appear, check your account settings and follow Netflix’s official troubleshooting recommendations.

Best VPNs for watching Bandit on Netflix

Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN all offer connections in the United Kingdom. Their differences include available server locations, streaming optimization, supported protocols, and server selection controls.

VPN	Server locations in the United Kingdom	Option to try first
Private Internet Access (Editor’s Choice)	UK London, UK Manchester, UK Southampton, UK Tottenham, UK Streaming Optimized	UK Streaming Optimized, where permitted
ExpressVPN	UK – Docklands, UK – East London, UK – London, UK – Manchester, UK – Midlands, UK – Tottenham, UK – Wembley	UK – London
NordVPN	Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester; 853 UK servers advertised	Automatic United Kingdom connection

PIA provides five documented British locations, including a specialized streaming endpoint. ExpressVPN publishes seven UK locations, while NordVPN advertises 853 British servers across four cities.

These connections can encrypt internet traffic and provide British IP addresses. However, server availability does not guarantee access to Bandit through Netflix UK from the United States.

1. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access is our Editor’s Choice because it provides several documented UK server locations, a dedicated streaming-optimized option, and flexible VPN settings. Its official documentation also explains important restrictions that users should understand before connecting to streaming platforms.

According to the official PIA server directory, the provider offers five United Kingdom connections: UK London, UK Manchester, UK Southampton, UK Tottenham, and UK Streaming Optimized.

UK Streaming Optimized is particularly relevant for users who want a connection designed for ordinary streaming performance. PIA configures these specialized locations to help maintain stable connections with supported streaming services.

For users physically located in the United Kingdom and authorized to use the connection, UK Streaming Optimized provides a sensible starting option. UK London offers a general-purpose alternative, while Manchester, Southampton, and Tottenham provide additional choices.

However, the streaming-optimized designation does not guarantee that Netflix will display Bandit or any other movie licensed for a particular country.

To select a server, open the PIA application and click the VPN SERVER section. Search for United Kingdom or enter streaming to locate the specialized endpoint. Choose the preferred location and activate the VPN connection.

PIA also allows users to review latency estimates before connecting. Lower latency may improve general responsiveness, although actual connection performance depends on network congestion and routing.

The provider supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, giving users two established VPN protocols.

WireGuard offers efficient encrypted networking with relatively low overhead. It can provide responsive connections on compatible devices and makes a practical starting option for many users.

OpenVPN offers another established protocol for networks, routers, or devices that behave differently with WireGuard.

Switching protocols may resolve ordinary connectivity problems, but it cannot override Netflix’s licensing agreements or guarantee that a particular movie will appear.

PIA also distinguishes between physical and virtual VPN infrastructure. Its official virtual server documentation explains that virtual locations provide an IP address associated with one country while physically hosting the server elsewhere.

The United Kingdom does not appear in PIA’s published list of virtual server countries. However, the documentation does not identify the exact physical data center address for every British endpoint.

Streaming performance depends on several factors beyond server location. Internet speed, Wi-Fi quality, network congestion, device performance, and distance from the server can all influence buffering and playback stability.

For ordinary streaming problems, PIA recommends clearing browser cookies and cached information, reconnecting to the VPN, and keeping the application updated.

The company’s official streaming support guide explains these procedures and includes an important usage restriction.

PIA instructs customers to select a server matching the country where they are physically located. The company also prohibits using its service to circumvent geographic restrictions imposed by content providers.

Consequently, American Netflix subscribers should not interpret PIA’s British server availability as permission to bypass Netflix’s regional licensing restrictions.

PIA remains a useful privacy service with multiple UK locations, streaming-focused infrastructure, and flexible protocol settings. However, it cannot guarantee that Bandit will appear or play on Netflix through a connection from the United States.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN ranks second because it provides seven officially documented British server locations, supports several modern connection protocols, and offers straightforward controls for selecting different destinations.

According to the official ExpressVPN server directory, the provider lists UK – Docklands, UK – East London, UK – London, UK – Manchester, UK – Midlands, UK – Tottenham, and UK – Wembley.

For users authorized to connect through the United Kingdom, UK – London provides a practical starting option. UK – Manchester and UK – East London offer alternatives when the first location experiences ordinary connectivity problems.

These additional locations give users more flexibility when selecting an endpoint based on network conditions, latency, and server performance.

To connect, open ExpressVPN and select the VPN location picker. Search for United Kingdom, choose one of the documented locations, and wait for the application to confirm that the connection is active.

ExpressVPN also provides automatic location selection, but its recommendation may point to another country. Users who specifically need an authorized UK connection should select the country manually.

The provider’s British locations support Lightway UDP, Lightway TCP, WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP. Its server directory also lists IKEv2 availability, although protocol support can vary between operating systems.

Lightway is ExpressVPN’s proprietary VPN protocol. It focuses on efficient encrypted connections and responsive reconnection when devices switch networks.

WireGuard provides another efficient option on supported devices, while OpenVPN offers an established alternative for certain network configurations.

Changing protocols may influence connection stability, responsiveness, and battery consumption. However, no VPN protocol can change the streaming rights Netflix holds in a particular country.

ExpressVPN also distinguishes physical server locations from virtual infrastructure. Its official virtual server documentation explains that some destinations provide an IP address associated with one country while hosting the physical hardware in another.

The current ExpressVPN server directory does not identify its UK locations as virtual endpoints. However, location names such as Docklands and Wembley do not establish the precise address of an individual server.

ExpressVPN also identifies East London and Tottenham among the locations equipped with upgraded 40Gbps infrastructure. These higher-capacity servers may help reduce congestion under demanding network conditions.

However, advertised server capacity does not mean every user will receive the same connection speed. Internet plans, Wi-Fi interference, network routing, and device limitations all affect performance.

If streaming becomes unstable, users should verify that their regular internet connection works, close unnecessary downloads, and restart Netflix after changing their network configuration.

ExpressVPN’s official Netflix troubleshooting guide recommends choosing a VPN location that matches the country where the user is physically located.

The provider also prohibits using its service to circumvent geographic restrictions imposed by content providers.

This restriction matters for American viewers. Although ExpressVPN offers seven British locations, their availability does not establish permission to access movies licensed exclusively for Netflix UK.

Even with an authorized connection, Netflix may recognize VPN traffic and restrict the available catalog to globally licensed titles.

ExpressVPN provides useful privacy and connection features, but it cannot guarantee that Bandit will appear or play through Netflix’s British catalog.

3. NordVPN

NordVPN takes third place in our comparison. It provides extensive UK server coverage, automatic connection selection, the NordLynx protocol, and SmartPlay functionality.

According to NordVPN’s official United Kingdom server page, the provider advertises 853 British servers across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester.

These four documented cities provide several choices for users who need a British VPN connection. The server count reflects NordVPN’s advertised inventory at the time of research and may change as the company updates its network.

To establish a connection, open NordVPN and select United Kingdom from the country list or map. The application can automatically choose a suitable server.

Users who prefer a specific city can open the country’s additional options and manually select Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, or Manchester.

London provides a practical starting location for eligible users. Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow offer alternatives when users experience ordinary connection instability.

NordVPN uses NordLynx, its WireGuard-based VPN protocol, to provide efficient encrypted networking. NordLynx aims to reduce connection overhead while maintaining strong privacy and security.

Actual performance depends on internet speed, network routing, server congestion, and the capabilities of the device running the VPN.

Another relevant feature is SmartPlay. According to NordVPN’s official SmartPlay documentation, the feature activates automatically whenever users connect through the NordVPN application.

SmartPlay combines VPN functionality with DNS-related technology to help users securely access supported streaming services.

It changes the visible public IP address, encrypts internet traffic, and manages DNS-related functions as part of the normal VPN connection.

Unlike a standalone SmartDNS configuration, SmartPlay does not require separate activation or additional setup.

However, SmartPlay does not guarantee access to movies licensed exclusively for a particular Netflix country.

Netflix may still recognize the VPN connection, restrict the available titles, or display a playback error.

If NordVPN experiences ordinary connectivity problems, users can restart the application, manually choose another available British server, or review the active connection protocol.

NordVPN also offers specialty configurations such as Double VPN and Onion Over VPN. These serve different privacy purposes and should not be confused with locations specifically verified for Netflix playback.

For Bandit, NordVPN’s published UK server coverage confirms that the provider offers connections in the relevant country. It does not establish that an American Netflix subscriber can watch the film through Netflix UK.

What to do if Bandit does not appear

Bandit may not appear in Netflix search results even when its official UK movie page exists. Regional licensing, VPN detection, profile restrictions, and outdated browser information can affect which movies the service displays.

1. Close Netflix completely, including open browser tabs and background application sessions.
2. Disconnect from your current VPN connection.
3. Reconnect to the United Kingdom if your physical location and VPN provider’s terms authorize that connection.
4. Try another officially documented UK server or location when troubleshooting an ordinary connectivity problem.
5. Clear Netflix cookies and your browser cache to remove outdated session information.
6. Open a fresh incognito or private browsing window.
7. Reopen Netflix and sign in with your existing account.
8. Search for Bandit and confirm that the result identifies the 2022 movie starring Josh Duhamel.

PIA users can compare UK Streaming Optimized with UK London, UK Manchester, UK Southampton, or UK Tottenham when their physical location and provider terms permit it.

ExpressVPN users can select UK – London, UK – East London, UK – Manchester, or another documented British endpoint. NordVPN users can choose among London, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

These alternatives may resolve temporary network congestion or ordinary connectivity failures. However, changing VPN servers cannot guarantee access to movies restricted by geographic licensing agreements.

Netflix explains in its missing movie troubleshooting guide that titles may disappear because of regional licensing, VPN recognition, maturity restrictions, or profile language settings.

Check that you are searching for the correct film. Bandit (2022) stars Josh Duhamel as Gilbert Galvan Jr., Elisha Cuthbert as Andrea, and Mel Gibson as Tommy.

The movie also features Nestor Carbonell, Swen Temmel, and Olivia d’Abo. Netflix UK uses the original English title Bandit, so no localized title is necessary for British searches.

Because the film contains crime-related violence and adult themes, restrictive Netflix profiles may not display it. Check your profile’s maturity settings if the movie remains missing.

If Netflix reports an unsupported VPN or proxy connection, follow its official instructions and disconnect the VPN. Doing so may restore your regular Netflix US catalog, although Bandit will remain unavailable there unless Netflix acquires the appropriate rights.

Netflix may detect the VPN

A VPN changes the public IP address websites observe by routing internet traffic through a remote server. When someone connects to a British VPN endpoint, websites may identify the connection as originating from the United Kingdom.

However, Netflix does not automatically grant access to the complete British catalog based solely on the apparent IP address.

The streaming platform enforces geographic licensing agreements and can recognize traffic coming from commercial VPN infrastructure.

According to Netflix’s official VPN and proxy error documentation, viewers may receive an error asking them to disable their VPN connection.

Netflix may also restrict the visible library to movies and television shows with worldwide streaming rights.

This explains why Bandit may remain missing even when a VPN reports a successful connection to the United Kingdom.

Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN can encrypt internet traffic and provide alternative public IP addresses. However, none controls Netflix’s licensing agreements or guarantees access to a particular regional movie.

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

No. Netflix does not support VPN connections with its ad-supported streaming experience.

Subscribers using these plans may encounter playback errors when Netflix recognizes an active VPN or proxy connection.

According to Netflix’s ad-supported VPN error documentation, users should disconnect their VPN to resolve the unsupported connection.

An ad-free Netflix subscription avoids this particular plan restriction, but it does not guarantee access to movies from another country’s catalog.

Netflix can still recognize VPN traffic, restrict the available titles, or prevent playback when a movie lacks worldwide streaming rights.

Upgrading to an ad-free subscription should therefore not be considered a guaranteed way to access Bandit through Netflix UK.

Does changing the VPN location change your Netflix account?

Changing your VPN location does not automatically modify your Netflix email address, password, billing information, subscription country, or saved viewing profiles.

The VPN changes the public IP address associated with your internet connection. Netflix may interpret that address as belonging to another country, but your account itself remains unchanged.

Netflix catalogs differ because studios and distributors license streaming rights separately for different geographic territories.

Bandit illustrates this distinction. The film appears in Netflix UK’s catalog, while Netflix US does not currently include it in its subscription library.

Netflix’s account country documentation explains that subscribers generally cannot change the country associated with their Netflix account unless they move to another country.

VPN recognition may also restrict the available movies regardless of the country associated with the connection’s visible IP address.

For American viewers, current US streaming alternatives for Bandit include free viewing through Kanopy and Hoopla, along with ad-supported streaming on Tubi.

Viewers can also rent or purchase the film through digital services such as Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home.

These options provide authorized ways to watch Bandit without relying on another country’s Netflix catalog. Kanopy and Hoopla availability may depend on participation by a local library or institution.

Which VPN should you use?

Private Internet Access is our first recommendation because it provides UK London, UK Manchester, UK Southampton, UK Tottenham, and UK Streaming Optimized connections. Its WireGuard and OpenVPN support also provides flexibility for privacy and ordinary networking. However, PIA instructs users to select servers matching their physical country and prohibits circumventing geographic streaming restrictions. It cannot guarantee access to Netflix UK from the United States.

ExpressVPN ranks second with seven documented British locations, including Docklands, East London, London, Manchester, Midlands, Tottenham, and Wembley, along with Lightway, WireGuard, and OpenVPN support. NordVPN comes third with 853 advertised UK servers across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester, plus NordLynx and automatically enabled SmartPlay. Both provide useful privacy and connectivity features, although Netflix may still recognize their connections and restrict regional movies.

As of October 30, 2026, Bandit (2022) is available on Netflix UK but not through the Netflix US subscription catalog. Regional licensing, VPN detection, subscription restrictions, and provider terms can prevent playback through international connections. American viewers can instead watch the film through Tubi, Kanopy, or Hoopla, or rent it from authorized US digital stores.