How to Watch What Men Want on Netflix in the US with a VPN (2026)

What Men Want (2019) is available on Netflix in the United Kingdom. Directed by Adam Shankman, this romantic comedy stars Taraji P. Henson as Ali Davis, a successful sports agent who unexpectedly gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts. Tracy Morgan, Aldis Hodge, Max Greenfield, and Wendi McLendon-Covey also appear in the movie. You can find the film on the official Netflix UK title page, which lists English original audio, English audio description, and several additional language options.

Unfortunately, What Men Want is not currently available on Netflix US. American viewers can find the movie through Starz Apple TV Channel, YouTube Free, and digital rental services, while Netflix UK remains a verified international Netflix location. Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN all offer British VPN connections, including server locations in London, Manchester, and other parts of the United Kingdom.

However, connecting to a British VPN server does not guarantee access to Netflix UK’s regional catalog. Netflix may recognize VPN connections and restrict viewers to movies licensed worldwide. VPN providers also maintain their own usage restrictions. Before proceeding, review Netflix’s official VPN streaming guidance and the applicable terms of your chosen VPN provider.

How to watch What Men Want on Netflix with a VPN

Netflix UK currently lists What Men Want, but using a British IP address does not automatically provide access to another country’s Netflix catalog. If your intended connection complies with the relevant service terms, follow these steps to check whether Netflix offers the movie.

1. Choose a VPN provider. Private Internet Access is our first recommendation for UK VPN connectivity, followed by ExpressVPN and NordVPN. Review each provider’s streaming restrictions before connecting.
2. Download and install the official VPN application on your Windows computer, Mac, smartphone, tablet, or another supported device.
3. Open the VPN application and connect to the United Kingdom. PIA offers London, Manchester, Southampton, and UK Streaming Optimized. ExpressVPN and NordVPN also provide several British server locations.
4. Close Netflix completely, including any open browser tabs and applications running in the background.
5. Reopen Netflix after establishing the VPN connection so the service can evaluate your current connection.
6. Sign in using your existing Netflix account and select the appropriate profile.
7. Search for What Men Want (2019), starring Taraji P. Henson. Make sure you select the comedy about a sports agent who can hear men’s thoughts.
8. Start playback if Netflix displays the movie in your accessible catalog and permits streaming through your connection.

What Men Want runs for approximately two hours and carries a 15 age rating on Netflix UK. The story follows Ali Davis as she struggles for recognition at a sports management agency dominated by men. After gaining an extraordinary ability to hear their private thoughts, she begins using the information to advance her career, although her new advantage soon creates unexpected complications.

You can also visit the Netflix UK listing for What Men Want to confirm the movie’s cast, release year, description, and language options.

The page lists English original audio, English audio description, French, Hindi, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain). Available subtitles include Arabic, English, French, Hindi, Polish, and Ukrainian.

JustWatch UK independently lists the movie on Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads. However, Netflix does not support VPN connections with ad-supported subscriptions, and opening a country-specific Netflix page does not override its regional licensing restrictions.

The movie uses its original English title in the United Kingdom, so no translated title is necessary. If Netflix does not display it, confirm that you have selected the 2019 film directed by Adam Shankman rather than the unrelated 2000 comedy What Women Want.

Best VPNs for watching What Men Want on Netflix

Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN provide British VPN connections through officially documented server locations. Their differences involve server coverage, streaming optimization, supported protocols, and connection management.

VPN	Server locations in the UK	Option to try first
Private Internet Access (Editor’s Choice)	London, Manchester, Southampton, UK Streaming Optimized	UK London for general connectivity; UK Streaming Optimized for permitted streaming
ExpressVPN	Docklands, East London, London, Manchester, Midlands, Tottenham, Wembley	UK London with Automatic protocol selection
NordVPN	Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Manchester; 853 UK servers advertised	London with NordLynx

These locations come from the providers’ official server directories. They confirm British VPN connectivity but do not guarantee access to What Men Want through Netflix UK.

1. Private Internet Access

Private Internet Access (PIA) is our Editor’s Choice for UK VPN connectivity because it provides several British server locations, a dedicated streaming-optimized option, and flexible connection protocols.

According to the official PIA server location directory, customers can select UK London, UK Manchester, UK Southampton, and UK Streaming Optimized.

These four entries provide several options for establishing a British VPN connection. London is a sensible starting point for general connectivity, while Manchester and Southampton offer alternatives when a particular route experiences technical problems.

PIA also provides UK Streaming Optimized, an endpoint that the company configures for streaming performance on services that customers can access under the applicable terms.

Unlike providers that offer several individually selectable locations within London, PIA’s current documentation identifies only three regular British city entries.

To connect, launch the PIA application and open the VPN SERVER section. Search for UK or United Kingdom to display the available British locations. Select your preferred connection and press the power button.

For permitted streaming, enter streaming in the server search field and select UK Streaming Optimized. PIA recommends choosing a streaming-optimized server in the country where the customer is physically located.

PIA supports WireGuard and OpenVPN, giving users a choice between different encrypted connection protocols.

WireGuard uses a lightweight design that can provide efficient performance for everyday browsing, gaming, and video streaming.

OpenVPN provides an established alternative when restrictive networks interfere with certain VPN connections. It also offers compatibility with a broad range of networking environments.

For ordinary British VPN connectivity, WireGuard provides a practical starting point. If a connection becomes unstable, switching to OpenVPN may help resolve technical problems.

However, changing protocols cannot override Netflix’s regional licensing rules or guarantee access to its British movie catalog.

PIA explains physical and virtual infrastructure through its official virtual server documentation.

A virtual location assigns an IP address associated with one country while its physical server operates elsewhere. PIA uses these arrangements in selected countries for infrastructure, security, or regulatory reasons.

The United Kingdom does not appear among PIA’s documented out-of-country virtual locations. However, the reviewed material does not provide an individual physical hosting breakdown for every British endpoint, particularly the streaming-optimized location.

PIA advertises unlimited VPN bandwidth and high-capacity server infrastructure. These features can support demanding online activities, but they do not guarantee specific download speeds for individual customers.

American viewers connecting to Britain may experience additional latency compared with nearby US servers. Actual speeds depend on internet routing, congestion, the user’s internet provider, and device capabilities.

If a permitted streaming service buffers, check your internet speed and close unnecessary background downloads. Reconnecting to the selected server may also help resolve a temporary network issue.

PIA recommends clearing browser cache, cookies, and browsing history when streaming websites experience session-related problems.

Updating the application can resolve compatibility problems. Users should also verify that another VPN extension or proxy is not interfering with the connection.

If London experiences technical problems, Manchester or Southampton provides another documented connection option. However, switching between these servers does not guarantee access to regional Netflix content.

There is an important restriction. PIA’s official streaming policy expressly prohibits using its service to circumvent geographic restrictions imposed by content providers.

The company instructs customers to connect to servers in their actual country when accessing streaming platforms.

Consequently, PIA’s British servers should not be considered an authorized method of accessing Netflix UK from the United States.

PIA remains our first recommendation for its documented UK network, flexible protocol options, streaming-focused infrastructure, and privacy features for activities that comply with applicable terms.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN provides another option for British VPN connectivity. It offers several UK server locations and supports multiple connection protocols across compatible devices.

The official ExpressVPN server directory identifies seven British locations: Docklands, East London, London, Manchester, Midlands, Tottenham, and Wembley.

These locations include several connections in Greater London and additional options elsewhere in England.

London provides a practical starting point for general connectivity. East London, Docklands, Tottenham, and Wembley offer alternatives within the capital.

Manchester and Midlands provide different geographic routes for users who want to investigate performance or connectivity problems.

To connect, download the ExpressVPN application, sign in, and open its server location selector. Search for United Kingdom and choose either the country or a particular British location.

ExpressVPN also offers Smart Location, which recommends a server based on network conditions. Users who specifically need a British IP address should select the United Kingdom rather than relying on a worldwide automatic recommendation.

The provider supports Lightway UDP, Lightway TCP, WireGuard, OpenVPN UDP, and OpenVPN TCP on its documented British endpoints.

Lightway is ExpressVPN’s own connection protocol and focuses on efficient encrypted traffic.

Lightway UDP provides a sensible starting point for ordinary browsing and video streaming. Lightway TCP may work better when restrictive networks interfere with UDP traffic.

WireGuard and OpenVPN provide additional protocol options. ExpressVPN also supports Automatic protocol selection, allowing the application to choose a suitable connection method.

Protocol availability can vary by operating system and application version, so customers should check their settings before assuming every protocol appears on every device.

ExpressVPN explains the difference between physical and virtual servers through its official virtual server documentation.

A virtual location assigns an IP address from one country while the underlying server hardware operates elsewhere.

The United Kingdom does not appear among ExpressVPN’s documented out-of-country virtual locations. The company states that locations outside its virtual server list use physical infrastructure within the specified country.

Therefore, its documented British endpoints use physical infrastructure in the United Kingdom rather than servers hosted abroad with British IP addresses.

The provider also publishes information about its British infrastructure through its official UK VPN service page.

Physical server placement can affect connection latency, although actual performance depends on the user’s internet provider, routing, device, and server congestion.

If a permitted streaming service buffers, compare the London connection with another documented UK location, such as Manchester or East London.

Users can also change protocols, update ExpressVPN, or check whether another proxy or browser extension interferes with the VPN connection.

A stable Wi-Fi or wired internet connection can improve playback consistency, especially when streaming high-definition video.

However, changing British servers does not guarantee that Netflix UK will display What Men Want.

Netflix may recognize the VPN connection and restrict the available catalog to movies licensed worldwide.

ExpressVPN provides broad British server coverage and flexible connection settings, but users must follow Netflix’s terms and applicable content restrictions.

3. NordVPN

NordVPN is the third recommendation for British VPN connectivity. It maintains an extensive UK server network and includes features such as NordLynx and SmartPlay.

According to the official NordVPN UK server page, the provider advertises 853 servers in the United Kingdom.

NordVPN identifies four British server cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester.

These figures reflect the company’s published network information during this research. NordVPN may change its server counts as it expands or reorganizes its infrastructure.

To connect automatically, install the NordVPN application, sign in, and select the United Kingdom from the country list or map.

NordVPN can choose an available British server without requiring users to select a city manually.

For additional control, open the options next to the United Kingdom and select Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, or Manchester.

London provides a reasonable starting point for ordinary UK connectivity. Manchester offers another English location, while Edinburgh and Glasgow provide alternatives in Scotland.

NordVPN also offers specialty server categories, including Double VPN, Onion Over VPN, and dedicated IP connections in supported locations.

These options address particular security and privacy requirements and are not necessary for ordinary streaming.

NordVPN recommends NordLynx, its technology built around the WireGuard protocol, for everyday encrypted connections.

According to the official NordLynx documentation, the protocol focuses on efficient connections while maintaining privacy and security.

For general VPN connectivity, NordLynx provides a practical starting point. Users experiencing connection problems can select another supported protocol through the application settings.

Another feature is SmartPlay, which combines VPN encryption with DNS-related technology to support secure streaming connections.

NordVPN’s official SmartPlay documentation confirms that this feature activates automatically whenever users connect through the NordVPN application.

Users do not need to install another application or configure a separate SmartPlay setting.

SmartPlay operates as part of the regular VPN connection, helping protect the user’s IP address and internet traffic.

However, SmartPlay does not guarantee access to movies licensed exclusively to the United Kingdom.

Netflix may recognize the VPN and restrict its available catalog even when SmartPlay operates correctly.

NordVPN’s UK page confirms its server count and four available cities, but the reviewed documentation does not provide a complete physical hosting breakdown for every individual British server.

Users should therefore avoid assuming that every endpoint uses identical hardware or network routing arrangements.

If NordVPN becomes slow or unstable, reconnect to the United Kingdom or manually select another documented city.

Checking NordLynx, updating the application, and comparing internet speeds can also help identify technical connection problems.

NordVPN provides extensive British connectivity and convenient privacy features, but it cannot guarantee that What Men Want will appear or play through Netflix UK from the United States.

What to do if What Men Want does not appear

If Netflix does not display What Men Want, several factors could explain the problem. Regional licensing, VPN detection, profile settings, and outdated browser information can all affect which movies appear.

1. Close Netflix completely, including all browser tabs and background application sessions.
2. Disconnect from your VPN to reset the existing connection.
3. Reconnect to the United Kingdom if your intended VPN use complies with Netflix’s and your provider’s terms.
4. Try another available UK server or location to investigate a technical connectivity problem.
5. Clear Netflix cookies and your browser cache to remove outdated session information.
6. Open a private or incognito browser window to check whether stored browser information affects Netflix.
7. Reopen Netflix and sign in using your existing account credentials.
8. Search for What Men Want again and check whether Netflix offers the 2019 movie through your connection.

Private Internet Access users can investigate connection problems through London, Manchester, and Southampton. UK Streaming Optimized provides another documented option for permitted streaming activities.

ExpressVPN users can inspect London, East London, Docklands, Manchester, Midlands, Tottenham, or Wembley. Changing locations may help diagnose an unstable connection but does not guarantee regional Netflix access.

NordVPN users can reconnect to the UK or manually select Manchester, Edinburgh, or Glasgow. Checking whether NordLynx operates correctly may also resolve connectivity problems.

Make sure you search for the correct movie. What Men Want is the 2019 romantic comedy starring Taraji P. Henson as a sports agent who develops the ability to hear men’s thoughts.

Do not confuse it with What Women Want (2000), the Mel Gibson comedy that features a similar premise but has separate streaming rights.

Netflix’s official missing-title troubleshooting guide explains that movies may disappear because of regional licensing, VPN detection, profile maturity restrictions, or language preferences.

Netflix UK classifies What Men Want as suitable for viewers aged 15 and older. A profile with a lower maturity setting or an individual title restriction may not display the movie.

If Netflix recognizes a VPN connection, it may show only globally licensed titles. Changing British servers or clearing browser data may not resolve that restriction.

Users must also follow their VPN provider’s terms. PIA expressly prohibits circumventing geographic restrictions, and none of these providers can guarantee access to regional Netflix movies.

Netflix may detect the VPN

A VPN changes the public IP address visible to websites by routing internet traffic through a remote server.

Connecting to a British VPN endpoint can make websites identify the connection as originating from the United Kingdom, even when the user is physically located elsewhere.

However, a British IP address does not automatically provide access to Netflix UK’s complete movie catalog.

Netflix licenses movies separately for different countries. What Men Want can appear on Netflix UK while remaining unavailable on Netflix US because its distribution agreements differ between those markets.

Netflix also uses systems that recognize VPN and proxy connections. When it detects a VPN, the service may limit the available catalog to movies and television programs licensed worldwide.

This restriction can cause regional movies to disappear from search results or produce playback errors.

The official Netflix VPN and proxy troubleshooting page explains that users may encounter error E106 and recommends turning off VPN services when they interfere with playback.

Private Internet Access, ExpressVPN, and NordVPN cannot guarantee access to What Men Want through Netflix UK. Netflix controls its regional licensing agreements, content availability, and VPN detection systems.

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

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

This restriction matters because JustWatch UK lists What Men Want through both Netflix and Netflix Standard with Ads.

Eligible British subscribers may be able to watch the movie through an ad-supported Netflix plan without a VPN, but Netflix does not support that experience when viewers connect through a VPN.

According to Netflix’s official guidance for VPN errors on ad-supported subscriptions, viewers may encounter error E121 or a message indicating that Netflix detected a VPN or proxy.

Netflix recommends disconnecting from the VPN to restore normal playback.

An ad-free Netflix subscription avoids this particular plan restriction, but regional licensing and VPN detection still apply.

Therefore, upgrading to an ad-free plan does not guarantee access to What Men Want through Netflix UK.

Does changing the VPN location change your Netflix account?

No. Changing your VPN server location does not automatically modify your Netflix account credentials, password, billing information, or existing profiles.

A VPN changes your visible public IP address, while Netflix continues to maintain your account details and subscription.

Netflix operates different catalogs across countries because movie and television distribution agreements vary by region.

According to Netflix’s official account country guidance, subscribers cannot change their registered account country simply by selecting another VPN location.

The company also warns that VPN connections may restrict the available catalog to movies and television programs licensed worldwide.

For American viewers, What Men Want has domestic streaming alternatives that do not depend on accessing Netflix UK.

The JustWatch US availability page for What Men Want currently lists the movie on Starz Apple TV Channel, with free ad-supported viewing through YouTube Free and another free option through Hoopla.

Digital rental and purchase options include Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home.

Streaming rights, subscription requirements, and rental prices can change, so check the current listings before paying for a movie or streaming service.

Which VPN should you use?

Private Internet Access is our first recommendation for British VPN connectivity because it offers London, Manchester, Southampton, and UK Streaming Optimized locations, along with WireGuard and OpenVPN support. These features provide flexibility for privacy and permitted streaming activities. However, PIA expressly prohibits circumventing geographic restrictions imposed by content providers, so its British servers should not be considered an authorized way to access Netflix UK from the United States.

ExpressVPN provides seven documented British server locations, including London, Manchester, Midlands, Docklands, East London, Tottenham, and Wembley, along with Lightway, WireGuard, and OpenVPN support. NordVPN advertises 853 UK servers across Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and Manchester and includes NordLynx and automatically enabled SmartPlay. Both providers offer British connections, but neither guarantees access to region-specific Netflix movies.

As of November 3, 2026, Netflix UK’s official page and JustWatch UK list What Men Want (2019), while JustWatch US does not list it on Netflix. The United Kingdom is therefore a verified international Netflix location for the movie. However, regional licensing, VPN detection, subscription restrictions, and provider terms mean that playback from the United States is not guaranteed. American viewers can also watch the movie through available domestic streaming and rental services.