Review: Nika and Madison

Synopsis
Fearing they won’t be believed, two young Indigenous women go on the run after one’s defense of the other results in a violent attack against a police officer.

Eva Thomas’ solo directorial debut Nika and Madison is a tense crime thriller about two young indigenous women.

Madison is sexually assaulted by a police officer who is called to the scene of a bar fight.  Even though their relationship is strained, her childhood friend Nika intervenes to save her, and the police officer ends up critically injured in the encounter.  They fear the authorities wouldn’t believe they acted in self-defence, so they go on the run.

The detectives working on the case are challenged to investigate an assault on one of their own.  They are forced to consider their own biases and the context as they track down the girls.

Nika and Madison is a story of friendship, resilience, and resistance against a system that has a history of failing them and their community.  

The film premiered in the Discovery program at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It begins a theatrical run on March 20, 2026. Check your local listings.

More info & links:

• Director: Eva Thomas
• Cast: Ellyn Jade, Star Slade, Amanda Brugel
• Nika and Madison on IMDB

Jith Paul

Web Designer, Editor, Film Reviewer

Jith Paul is an independent filmmaker based in Ottawa. While pursuing a career as a software engineer, he decided to take a detour to follow his passion for film and filmmaking, establishing Treepot Media in 2010.

He is a co-founder of the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, where he served on the board until 2024. He is currently the editor of the film613 blog.

When he is not busy fighting crime, he coordinates the efforts of an international team of software developers and service providers as the Team Lead for Digital Development at CPAC, the Cable Public Affairs Channel.

Follow Jith on letterboxd. More at jithpaul.com