Virily Editor
Want to watch Fantastic Four but can’t find it on Netflix?
The movie is available on this site, but there is one reason why you might not see it – it’s not available where you live. Geo-blocks are stopping it from showing up in your searches. These restrictions are also responsible for sending your traffic to your country’s Netflix library even if you click a Google link for Fantastic Four on Netflix.
Why?
We’ll tell you everything you need to know in this article – including how to start watching Fantastic Four ASAP even if it’s not available in your country.
What’s the Deal with Netflix Using Geo-Blocks?
Do they do it out of spite, or what’s going on?
No, it’s nothing like that. It if were up to Netflix, they probably wouldn’t even use any geo-restrictions.
But that’s the problem – it’s not up to them, but to the copyright holders. Netflix explains the situation pretty well in this FAQ article. Basically, they don’t own most of the titles you see on their platform, so they need to license them (buy the right to legally stream them in a country).
Obviously, Netflix tries to get global licensing rights whenever it can. But that’s not always possible. Most of the time, their competitors already own some of the rights. That’s why you don’t get Fantastic Four on Netflix in some countries – it’s available on other streaming sites or TV networks.
There’s also the fact that Netflix can’t afford to buy global rights without first making sure they’re profitable. They invest a huge part of their budget into licensed titles. If there’s no way to guarantee a good ROI, they’re not going to make that investment. Instead, they’ll just buy licensing rights for the places where they know their audience and potential new users will want to watch the title.
How Do Those Geo-Blocks Work, Exactly?
Just think of them like a restaurant greeter. When you get to the restaurant (Netflix), the greeter (geo-blocks) takes you to your table (your country’s Netflix library).
You see that the table next to you (some other regional library) is enjoying a delicious meal (Fantastic Four). Your mouth is watering and you want to join them, but no – the greeter says you need to go to your table (which has no food on it).
You can try ordering that meal, but the restaurant (Netflix) will tell you it’s no longer on the menu, they’re out of it, or that they only serve that menu item to the table next to you (that’s a bit of a stretch, we know).
If you want a quicker rundown, here’s what happens:
- You visit Netflix.
- The site sees you’re from a specific country (your IP tells them all they need to know).
- Netflix sends your traffic to your country’s library.
- If Netflix doesn’t have licensing rights for your country, Fantastic Four won’t be available on your region’s library.
How to Find Out Where Fantastic Four Is Available
We recommend using this Netflix library checking tool. It’s called StreamCatcher, and it was developed by ProPrivacy (one of the leading tech review sites and Internet privacy advocates on the web). When you use StreamCatcher, it will tell you which locations (that were tested by the devs) you can watch a specific Netflix title from.
When we used this tool to look up Fantastic Four, it told us we could watch the movie in the UK and South Korea.
If you know other places where this title is available, please mention them in the comments at the end of this article.
How to Unblock Fantastic Four Right Now
You don’t need to take a quick trip to South Korea or the UK just to watch it, right?
Don’t worry – you don’t need to go to such extremes (unless you really want to).
You can actually trick Netflix into thinking you are in those countries even if you’re somewhere else. To do that, you have to use a VPN – a simple tool that hides your IP address, and replaces it with its own IP.
How does a VPN do that?
Pretty simple – it intercepts the traffic that’s heading to Netflix, routes it through its server, and then forwards it to Netflix’s web servers. The website will think the VPN’s server is where your connection is coming from. So, it thinks your traffic is coming from the VPN’s IP.
If that IP address is from South Korea or the US, Netflix will let you watch Fantastic Four.
How to Use a VPN to Unblock Fantastic Four on Netflix
First, get a VPN subscription. You can use one of the two services recommended by StreamCatcher – NordVPN or PrivateVPN. We tested both providers, and can confirm they work well. We actually used NordVPN to watch the first half of the movie, and PrivateVPN to watch the other half.
Once you have your subscription, you need to head to your VPN account’s dashboard, and download the appropriate app for your device. So, if you’re using an Android smartphone, get the Android app from the Google Play store.
After you install the app, run it, log into your account, and connect to a South Korea or UK server.
Finally, log into your Netflix account, look up Fantastic Four, and enjoy the movie!
The Bottom Line
You can watch Fantastic Four on Netflix, but there’s a problem – the movie is only available in the UK and South Korea (as far as we know, at least). To unblock it, you need to use a UK or South Korea VPN server.
If you know where else you can watch this movie on Netflix, please let us know in the comments. Also, if you’re aware of other unblocking methods that work, don’t forget to mention them.
