How to watch Inception online: stream Tenet director Christopher Nolan's 2010 movie

Prolific Christopher Nolan is back for the holidays, with his latest masterpiece out now for VOD viewing - and we can tell you how to watch Tenet online right away, if that's you want. But if you're here, chances are you might be after delving into the director's impressive back catalogue, of which Inception is the most obvious point of comparison for Tenet, due to shared theme of time-flow distortion. Read on as we explain how to watch Inception online today, no matter where you are in the world.

Like many of Nolan's works - Memento, Insomnia, Dunkirk, Interstellar, The Prestige and the genre redefining Dark Knight trilogy being some of the others - Inception can't be pigeon-holed as a single 'type' of movie.

Instead, the closest it comes to neat categorisation being to call it a sci-fi action thriller. See what we mean? It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a thief who steals information by infiltrating the sub-conscious of his targets and features a jaw-dropping ensemble cast including Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine.

Lucid dreaming - a state where one is aware they are dreaming and are able to achieve a certain amount of control over their dream - is central to both the film's narrative and its visual style, with Inception's aesthetic winning it four Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects. It also earned another four Oscar nods that year: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction, and Best Original Score.

Best of all, Inception is readily available on Netflix in a number of countries all over the world - the one exception being the US, where it's mysteriously absent. Even then, there's ways you can stream it, so read on for details of how to watch Inception online now.

• Related: how to watch every Christopher Nolan movie

How to watch Inception on Netflix now

As we've said, Inception is widely available on Netflix, including in the UK and Canada.

Netflix is famously affordable, with plans starting at just £5.99/CA$9.99 a month, while more premium options are available for those who want things like 4K streaming.

Where it's not available on Netflix in a specific region, there's a workaround that will let you watch the movie using your home version of the service - no matter where you are.

The first step is to download a good VPN - here's how it works in more detail.

How to watch Inception online from outside your country

Inception is available in a number of the world's most popular Netflix regions, including those of the UK and Canada. However, some countries miss out - including a fairly big one, the US, as well as Australia.

This means Netflix subscribers travelling in the US might not be able to watch Inception like they would at home because of geo-blocking. Fortunately, there's a way you can navigate these digital borders and regain access to the services and content you already pay for.

Using a VPN masks your location from the websites you visit, which not only protects your anonymity and data online, but also allows you to use servers based all over the world. 

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How to watch Inception free online in the US

Those who want an alternative to watching Inception on Netflix need look no further than Amazon Prime Video.

Of the options available, we're recommending Amazon because of its familiarity - you've probably already got an account, which means you can get the popcorn going and start watching right away. We also love it because it lets Prime members watch Inception at no additional cost as part of their subscription - but if that's not for you, renting it is still very affordable at just $3.99 (or buy it outright for $9.99).

Best of all, you can take advantage of Amazon's famous FREE 30-day Prime trial, which effectively means you can watch Inception online for free today.

Remember, as per our guide above, if you find yourself out of the country, you can use clever software like ExpressVPN to watch Inception just as if you were at home.

Others ways to watch Inception online

If Netflix doesn't tickle your fancy for whatever reason, here are some of the other ways to can get an Inception stream online. Prices list are to rent and to buy, respectively, unless otherwise stated.

• Watch Inception in the UK: Amazon Prime Video (£3.49/£5.99)
• Watch Inception in Canada: Cineplex Store ($3.99/$12.99)
• Watch Inception in Australia: Binge (free trial available)