Eva Thomas’ Nika & Madison is, in many ways, a familiar story for a lot of women. Some might even think the film is trying to be universal in that way. But this isn’t a general story; this is a very specific one about First Nations women, a demographic that in Canada is up to six times more likely than non-Indigenous people to have been sexually or physically assaulted or to have been victims of homicide.
If it feels relatable even to those it doesn’t really portray, it’s because of the strength of the performances and the clear-eyed vision of a director who knew what story she wanted to tell and how to make that story stand out. Because Nika & Madison is, above all, a story about friendship and what you would do for the people you love. And that is something we can all understand.
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The story follows Madison (Star Slade) as she returns home to her community from university. There she meets up with her former best friend and cousin, Nika (Ellyn Jade). Their conflict is so much at the center of what happens later that when Madison is assaulted by a police officer, it’s Nika who saves her. And then, the two quickly decide that the best thing they can do is go on the run. Who is going to be on their side, after all?
Sometimes, a study of the systemic racism that exists in the police department, and how that reality colors two young women’s decisions, Nika & Madison, is mostly about how two very different people can still be each other’s safe space. Love transcends all, and there are different kinds of love. Sometimes the one you need is that of that one person who will see you at your worst and not just lift you up, but get on the ground with you to do so.
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Tender at times, intimate at others, and always very deliberate, Nika & Madison never pretends to be more than what it is. And in many ways, that’s a really good thing. There’s space for ambiguity in a lot of stories, a lot of messages. Nika & Madison, meanwhile, feels like the kind of tale that benefits from a straightforward approach to storytelling. There are no twists here. The message is unequivocal. But the story still shines, not just because it’s worth telling, but because of how it’s being told.
Overall, Nika & Madison is a very good glimpse at a reality that many First Nations women have been forced to endure, one that perhaps not enough people outside of Canada know about. But more than that, it’s a story about how, sometimes, your best friend can also be your soulmate, and how that reality can and will change your life for the better.
Nika & Madison screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.
