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I'm using a VPN to bring the horror movie scares this Halloween – here's how
Most of the year my VPN is busy exorcising ads from my web browser and preventing sinister third parties from stalking me on public Wi-Fi.
But, as a horror film fiend, its primary use come Halloween is as a streaming service skeleton key; virtually transporting me around the world to gain access to an array of spine-tingling favorites and new releases that would otherwise be off limits.
And you can guarantee that I’ll be using one of the best streaming VPNs to rewatch Obsession, 2026’s breakout horror hit, John Landis’s hair-raising 80s comedy and much more… though admittedly peeking through my fingers.
Why I'm using a VPN to help me stream horror movies this Halloween
I love the encroaching gloom at this time of year. From the tumbling leaves to the spooky atmosphere, it’s the perfect time turn on the TV, dive under the duvet, and scare yourself witless.
Yet finding the fright flicks I want to watch online is often fraught with frustration. It’s all too easy to lose an evening trying to find my favorite scary movies, and to my horror discovering their not licensed where I live. And nothing makes me shout “boo!” more than discovering an unmissable box-office smash has landed on Netflix, though just in certain countries outside my own.
This is where a VPN can greatly assuage this movie nerd’s FOMO.
With its IP-spoofing capabilities and fleet of secure global servers, it’s possible to access geo-blocked (and sometimes free) content from anywhere. That way I can enjoy a smorgasbord of scares – zombies, supernatural curses, man-gobbling UFOs, and second world war-set hauntings – and finish the day with a jack-o’-lantern grin.
The horror movies I'm planning to watch with a VPN this year
Obsession (2026)
Short of buying a One Wish Willow, I’m desperate to see Curry Barker’s Obsession again (and again and again).
But as Barker’s dementedly funny take on the 'be careful what you wish for' conceit isn’t uniformly available to stream (despite its $523 million box-office success), I’m going to plead with my US-based friend to borrow his Peacock login again.
Then, even if I’m traveling, I can pick a VPN server in America and freak out over Obsession and Indy Navarette’s stunningly creepy performance a second time.
Talk to Me (2023)
From Leviticus to The Babadook, Australia has made one heck of a contribution to the horror genre of late. But despite the acclaim and A24 prestige I’m very late to this particular party, and sans embalmed forearm.
Following an Adelaide teen acting as a conduit for a demonic entity claiming to be her mother, the premise chills my blood almost as much as being forced to rent the movie even though I’m already knee-deep in streaming subscriptions.
I’ve no excuses left now. With a free stream provided by SBS On Demand, I’ll brave booting up my VPN and using an Australian IP address and finally test my nerves also worrying about extra fees.
Nope (2022)
It's been four years since it beamed me up in theaters and I’m eager for another close encounter with Jordan Peele's blockbuster.
From sitcom chimps run amok to predatory UFOs, I was holding my breath throughout this clever suspenser. I particularly loved its subversion of Spielbergian ET encounters, as Daniel Kaluuya’s character witnesses a UFO bathe the Hayward farm, not in beatific light, but in the viscera of its victims.
Nope’s may be on Netflix in the US, but it isn't in every territory. So I'll launch my VPN and route my traffic through a US server.
Train to Busan (2016)
I’ll just say it: I need my walking dead to be more caffeinated than George A. Romero’s sleepwalking hordes.
Train to Busan is my go-to choice, then, when I require that jolt of adrenaline, with the plight of a cross-section of South Korean society succumbing to zombification absolutely full-throttle once they leave the station.
And a VPN is my first-class ticket to this fast-paced, surprisingly moving drama.
I decided I’d bounce myself over to a UK server and access my Amazon Prime sub and Studio Canal channel (with 7-days free initially). That way, I can watch all three films in Yeon Sang-ho’s franchise, and that’s one movie marathon guaranteed to reanimate me.
The Others (2001)
But you don’t always want brain-hungry zombies, soul-rattling curses or R-rated scares that induce rigor mortis. Sometimes I like to draw the curtains and spook my nieces and nephews with something more PG-13 eerie.
The Others hits the spot: a classic, 1945-set ghost story starring Nicole Kidman that prioritizes atmosphere and storytelling over blood and guts. Right now it’s free with ads on New Zealand’s TVNZ Plus. Just find a suitable server (e.g. Auckland) then wait to watch everyone’s jaw drop after THAT cinematic rug-pull.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
This 80s classic remains (hairy hands down) the definitive werewolf flick, blending self-aware comedy and blood-curdling terror over a decade before Scream hit our screens.
An American Werewolf in London has got everything: a brutal fever dream featuring Miss Piggy, David’s nude awakening in London Zoo, and the irruption of lycanthropic carnage across London after two Yanks are mauled on the Yorkshire Moors.
It’s untenable that this wouldn’t be part of my howl-o-ween(!) rotation. So, armed with a trusty VPN, I head back to ITVX in the UK to watch it, and giddily anticipate a sleepless night or two after my sojourn to The Slaughtered Lamb.
Psycho (1960)
“We all go a little mad sometimes!” – it’s one of cinema’s most memorable lines.
I, for one, was very irked to find that that Psycho, one of the finest works from Alfred Hitchcock, the master of the macabre, is utterly impossible to stream in some territories.
Personally, it’s not Halloween until I’ve heard those shrieking strings and watched Norman Bates being (spoiler alert!) wrestled to the cellar floor dressed in his mother’s robe and wig.
Digital versions of Hitchcock’s output can be tricky to pin down. It’s reassuring then that, with a VPN, I can be spirited away through a US server and gain access to Peacock, home to some of his most heart-stopping movies.
What makes the ideal VPN for streaming?
- High speeds: High-bandwidth connections and efficient protocols like WireGuard help ensure smooth HD and 4K streaming, meaning only you should be jittering after those jump scares.
- Easy to use: The better streaming VPNs feature a clean UX, searchable server list, and 'one click' connection for hassle-free screaming. Sorry… streaming.
- Streaming-optimized servers: These are configured to access most major and regional services (e.g. Netflix, ITVX), while dodging network blocks that would hinder your connection.
- A generous global network: A plethora of country servers provide more choice when it comes to viewing a wide-range of horror-themed content and streaming services.
- An introductory trial period: Most providers offer a 7-day free trial and/or a 30-day money-back guarantee. That way, you don’t pay a thing if you cancel before that period ends.
