15 Seemingly Terrible Horror Castings That Totally Paid Off

15. Trap - Josh Hartnett

When M. Night Shyamalan was developing his horror-thriller Trap - which gestated when he imagined what The Silence of the Lambs would look like if it unfolded at a concert - he went down an unexpected route when casting the movie's serial killer antagonist. He ultimately went for... Josh Hartnett, that noughties heartthrob whose career hasn't had much momentum for many years now. 

Hartnett has always been a capable actor, having done good work in films like The Virgin Suicides and an underseen Shakespeare adaptation called O, but let's not forget he's also been in a lot of garbage, especially Michael Bay's Pearl Harbour. Furthermore, even in his better turns, he's generally excelled at quieter acting rather than the hammier turn Shyamalan's new villain needed. 

What a shock it was, then, when Josh Hartnett delivered pretty much the best work of his career. As the murderous Cooper, Hartnett is exactly right - he's kooky and frightening in equal measure, performing this psychopath with a malevolent glee and just the right level of camp. Trap does go off the rails in the final act but it's still a very fun watch for the most part, and a lot of that is down to Josh Hartnett. He's in virtually every scene and effortlessly carries the whole thing.