Leighton Meester was my favorite character in the hit teen drama “Gossip Girl” when she played Manhattan elite Blaire Waldorf,  and she was the main reason I rewatched the show three times.

Well, that and her relationship with Chuck Bass.

So, when I saw that she was starring in a Netflix original movie “Weekend Away,” I was determined to tune in, as Netflix originals are usually so much better than movies released in theaters nowadays.

The movie adaptation of Sarah Alderson’s novel begins as a simple best friend getaway, but soon, red flags begin to appear left and right on the Croatian vacation.

The use of an ex’s credit card, attempting to reach the limit.

Dangerous amounts of alcohol.

Flirting with strange men in a foreign city.

It’s no wonder that the first night ends in a murder.

This movie was a great reminder for me of the role Meester’s character in “Gossip Girl” played for me, as she achieved it again through her mother-and-wife character Beth: strong female role model.

So much so, it seems almost too true to be a coincidence that this film was released during Women’s History Month.

When I was in middle school, Meester played a resilient high school student and social expert, which was exactly what I needed at that age. This time around, she conveys the power of a mother’s love, the strength to leave toxic relationships and the ability to trust your gut even when the whole world seems to be against you, which are important values for me to soak in as I approach that stage of my life.

Not only that, her character is just plain smart and investigative by nature, making her an interesting subject of the movie.

This film takes the track of a twisty roller coaster ride, approaching hills of unconditional love and stomach-dropping turns of betrayal, which makes the truth so difficult to uncover for Beth, even more so for the viewers.

“Weekend Away” writers and directors did a great job of emphasizing the danger of being a woman in a foreign country, without actually villainizing the country’s men, or women, completely, as revealed in the end when the true culprit of the disappearance and murder is unveiled.

“Weekend Away” is now available for streaming on Netflix.

ALI SMITH

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