‘The Flash’: Streaming Release Date and How to Watch From Anywhere

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Max subscribers — a new streaming option will be here in a… hurry. 

The Flash, released in theaters in June, catches up with Warner Bros. Discovery’s service this week. The flick follows protagonist Barry Allen, who uses his powers to meddle with the past but inadvertently alters the future. Ezra Miller reprises their role as Allen after appearing in projects such as Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2016’s Suicide Squad and 2017’s Justice League. The new movie is directed by It horror film helmer Andy Muschietti. 

The Flash also stars Sasha Calle, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, Antje Traue and Michael Keaton (along with some other notable cameos from actors such as Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck). The movie has a score of 56 on Metacritic. Here’s when you can stream it on Max, plus why a VPN might improve your experience.

When to watch The Flash on Max

The Flash sprints onto Max in the early morning hours on Aug. 25 (3:01 a.m. ET, to be exact).

Max, formerly HBO Max, unites the HBO Max and Discovery Plus libraries and is currently available in the US. There are three plans to choose from, and you’ll need to upgrade if you want to remove ads and gain the ability to download titles. If you don’t want to subscribe, you can also buy The Flash for $20 from services like Amazon and Vudu.

Max

Carries The Flash

Max subscriptions start at $10 a month (or $100 per year) for the ad-based version and go up to $20 a month (or $200 per year) for the version that gets you the most downloads and simultaneous streams, plus the ability to watch some titles in 4K. Looking to save some money? Opting to pay for a year of Max upfront costs less compared with paying for 12 months separately. Read our Max review. 

See at Play.max

How to watch The Flash from anywhere with a VPN

Perhaps you’re traveling abroad and want to stream Max while away from home. With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the movie from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.

A VPN is the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds by encrypting your traffic. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that’s passed our tests and security standards.

You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you’re using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list such as Surfshark or NordVPN. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

ExpressVPN

Best VPN for streaming

If you’re looking for a secure and dependable VPN, our Editors’ Choice is ExpressVPN. It’s fast, works on multiple devices, and provides stable streams. It’s normally $13 a month, but it currently costs less overall to go for a 12 month subscription, where each month shakes out to $8.32.

ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Read our review of ExpressVPN.

See at Expressvpn

Follow the VPN provider’s instructions for installation, and choose the United States, where The Flash will be streaming on Max. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you are connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream The Flash on more than one device, it’s possible you’ll need to configure each one to ensure you are signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you’re logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you’re ready to open Max to stream. 

If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you’ve followed installation instructions correctly and you’ve picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.