10 Horror Movie Characters You Didn’t Trust (Even Though You Should Have)

There are few horror films in recent memory that pulled off misdirection as effectively as Barbarian. Zach Cregger's nerve-wracking thriller opens with Tess arriving at her rental house, only to learn it's occupied by a stranger called Keith.

This dilemma is terrifying, since Tess is in a dangerous neighbourhood at the night, with nowhere else to go. When Keith validates he legally paid for his accommodation, Tess is still on edge, purely because of the peculiar circumstances.

But what makes Keith so creepy is the fact he tries not to be creepy. When he emphasises he didn't spike Tess' drink unprompted, you can't help thinking that's exactly what he did. All of his attempts to reassure her come across as forced and disingenuous. Even when she eventually lets her guard down, viewers are certain this guy is bad news.

Unfortunately, we don't how wrong we are until it's too late. When Tess discovers a secret room in the basement, she becomes hysterical. Keith laughs it off (don't ever do that in a horror movie), and inspects the room to prove there's no threat.

When Keith doesn't return, you can't help thinking this is all part of his masterplan to abduct or kill Tess. Only after he's murdered by the house's other secret resident do we realise Keith wasn't a monster.

Sorry we misjudged you, Keith.