Leighton Meester skyrocketed to fame when she memorably portrayed the conniving socialite Blair Waldorf in the hit teen drama series Gossip Girl. The juicy program quickly became a fan-favorite show that catapulted its young and talented ensemble to widespread notoriety, with stars like Meester, Blake Lively, and Penn Badgley swiftly taking over Hollywood during its six-season run.
After the drama’s conclusion in 2012, Meester branched out and took on more adult-oriented roles, making memorable appearances in films like The Judge, Life Partners, and The Weekend Away, with her most recent performance being opposite her husband Adam Brody in the 2023 thriller River Wild. The actress can currently be seen on the sitcom How I Met Your Father in the recurring role of Meredith. These are Leighton Meester’s best movies, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10 The Oranges - 31%
In the 2011 romantic dramedy The Oranges, House star Hugh Laurie portrays a married man who begins an affair with the beautiful twenty-something daughter (Meester) of his next-door-neighbor and friend, causing a massive fallout between both families and shattering the lives of those affected by the entanglement.
Featuring the additional talents of Catherine Keener, Allison Janney, and Adam Brody (Meester's real-life husband), the film was Meester's main foray into more mature, adult subject matter outside of teen-focused television, with the actress stating at the time, "It's a complete 180-degree turn from anything I've ever done. This fulfills something within myself that I could never find in my series [Gossip Girl]."
9 The Weekend Away - 39%
Based on Sarah Alderson's novel of the same name, the 2022 thriller The Weekend Away centers on best friends Beth (Meester) and Kate (Christina Wolfe) as they set out for a much needed weekend vacation to Croatia to let loose and have fun, but their getaway takes a tragic turn when Kate disappears and Beth sets out to discover the truth of her vanishing. After the young woman's body is discovered, Beth becomes the primary suspect and she sets out to clear her name and find out who was responsible for her friend's death.
Meester shined in her role as the grief-stricken Beth, who uncovers some unsavory details and secrets about her close pal that leaves her questioning everything in her life. Decider wrote in their review, "Predictable and clunky as it may be, The Weekend Away is watchable as hell, serving as a suspenseful showcase for a strong performance from Leighton Meester."
8 Monte Carlo - 40%
Leighton Meester shared the screen with Selena Gomez, Katie Cassidy, and Andie MacDowell in the 2011 adventure romantic comedy Monte Carlo, with the leading ladies portraying a trio of close friends who ditch their boringTexas small town for an exciting European summer vacation where they get into thrilling misadventure in which one of them is mistaken for a royal.
After Grace (Gomez) is confused for being a famous British socialite, the pals head to beautiful Monte Carlo to live the high life and take advantage of the mix-up, which becomes even more complicated when the real debutante arrives. The rom-com was a modest success at the box office and earned mixed reviews from critics, with praise going towards the cast's charming performances but critiquing its cliched and predictable plot.
7 By the Gun - 40%
Shadow and Bone star Ben Barnes headlines the 2014 crime drama By the Gun, in which he portrays a burgeoning young Boston gangster who works for the local mafia and yearns to become a made man, a desire that becomes complicated when he becomes romantically involved with a member of an opposing crime family.
Meester appears as the estranged daughter of a dangerous mobster, who finds herself caught up in the crossfire and tension of the warring criminals and mounting violence. Harvey Keitel is brilliant as a ruthless crime lord who is forced to consolidate his power with his fellow bosses and goes on a rampage to reclaim his spot at the top.
6 The Judge - 49%
Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall portray an estranged father and son forced to set aside their differences following a tragic accident in the 2014 legal drama The Judge, centering on the brilliant but crafty Chicago lawyer Hank Palmer as he returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral and must face his contentious relationship with his criminal court judge father Joseph, whom he refers to simply as "Judge." After the elder Palmer becomes involved in a deadly hit-and-run incident, Hank must defend his contentious parent and fight to keep him out of prison.
Jeremy Strong, Vincent D'Onofrio, and Dax Shepard round out the cast as Hank's family and associates, with Meester portraying the daughter of his love interest. Lauded for its compelling performances by Downey and Duvall and for its emotional depth, The Judge was a success at the box office and earned Duvall an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
5 Like Sunday, Like Rain - 50%
In the 2014 drama Like Sunday, Like Rain, Meester stars as a struggling Brooklyn musician who takes on the job as a caretaker to a 12-year-old cello prodigy for the summer, with the pair developing a deep and meaningful bond that changes both their lives. After a series of personal and professional mishaps, Eleanor Logan becomes the temporary sitter for the exceptional genius Reggie (Julian Shatkin), who is battling his own feelings of boredom and loneliness and finds a kinship with the aspiring singer.
Director Frank Whaley set out to tell an engrossing and moving story that focused on the topic of "childhood, and the loneliness and feelings of isolation and hopelessness that can sometimes accompany it." The tender and endearing friendship between the young woman and adolescent boy tugged on the heartstring of audiences, and the actors' portrayals earned glowing reviews.
4 Going the Distance - 54%
Justin Long and Drew Barrymore appear as star-crossed lovers who attempt to make a long-distance relationship work in the 2010 rom-com Going the Distance, following recent journalism graduate Erin Langford as she meets and falls for music manager Garrett Scully in NYC, right before she is about to begin a crucial internship in San Francisco. The duo set out to keep their romance going despite being on separate sides of the country, which becomes increasingly more difficult as the natural chaos of life threatens to get in their way.
Featuring the additional talents of stars like Charlie Day, Leighton Meester, Jason Sudeikis, and Christina Applegate, the flick was a modest box office success and earned a mixed-bag response from critics, with praise for Long and Barrymore's undeniable chemistry and the cast's delightful performances but criticism for its choppy and predictable screenplay.
3 Life Partners - 68%
Longtime best friends Paige (Gillian Jacobs) and Sasha (Leighton Meester) find their enduring bond tested after one of them becomes involved in a serious relationship in the 2014 romantic dramedy Life Partners, chronicling Paige's first major romance with a charming dermatologist (Adam Brody) as Sasha struggles with one disastrous date after the other. The down-on-her-luck pal begins to feel left behind and excluded as their relationship becomes more permanent, altering their once rock-solid connection.
Life Partners had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where Jacobs and Meester earned glowing reviews for their endearing performances, with Variety declaring, "Jacobs fully inhabits her less-than-completely-sympathetic role with warmth and just the right touch of unconscious entitlement, while Meester luminously expands the film's affective core."
2 River Wild - 81%
Serving as both a standalone sequel and reimagining of the Meryl Streep-led '90s flick The River Wild, the 2023 adventure thriller River Wild stars Leighton Meester and Taran Killam as siblings Joey and Gray Reese, who set out on an exciting whitewater rafting trip with their childhood friend Trevor (Adam Brody) and find their exhilarating getaway take a horrific turn when they realize the man is far more dangerous and deadly than they ever imagined. Joey and Gray must fight for their lives as they struggle to survive both Trevor and the hazardous river water.
According to director Ben Ketai, the remake focuses on a tension-filled pre-existing relationship, stating, "In our movie, the danger comes from within the group. ...[It's] a more intimate and gritty story, but in the same exciting setting as the original." River Wild premiered on Netflix, dazzling audiences with its taut pacing, mounting suspense, and intense action sequences.
1 My Father’s Dragon - 87%
With an outstanding ensemble voice cast led by Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Dianne Wiest, and Rita Moreno, the 2022 animated fantasy adventure My Father's Dragon tells the story of a young adolescent boy named Elmer Elevator as he embarks on a wondrous journey to locate and rescue a mysterious dragon that dwells on the enchanted Wild Island. Elmer finds himself meeting a slew of colorful characters on his quest to find the dragon known as Boris, making unforgettable friends along the way.
In the spellbinding picture, Leighton Meester and Spence Moore II voice tiger siblings Sasha and George, who help Elmer on his adventure to find the hallowed dragon. Praised for its heartfelt storyline, dazzling animation, and charming main protagonist, My Father's Dragon was a hit with both audiences and critics and received two Annie Award nominations including Best Independent Animated Feature.