Nika & Madison Review

October 18, 2025 at 5:08pm
By Jason Stettner

This is a story that follows two young indigenous women attempting to deal with a very traumatic moment, in a system that doesn’t fully support them. It’s an interesting concept as we see the two get tangled up in a very dangerous moment with Canadian law enforcement. From there, dealing with the moment and trying to best manage a situation that is growing in problematic complexity. The general setup is that we have two rather close friends that have grown apart over time.

There’s Nika (Ellyn Jade) who spends time hunting and basically stayed with the people she grew up with. Then there’s Madison (Star Slade [Just a side note, that’s a damn cool name. Don’t think I’ve added a bit like this before in a review, but seriously.]) who’s gone to the big city of Toronto for schooling and she’s become caught up in that lifestyle. Upon heading back home Madison finds herself in a bad situation and that’s when Nika fortunately comes to her aid. That’s where the narrative really kicks off.

It’s a split between these two dealing with the fallout and then on the other hand a group of detectives figuring out what’s actually happened. You have detective Timmins (Amanda Brugel) who doesn’t quite fully believe the officer in the incident and then detective Warhurst (Shawn Doyle) who’s more on the side of the officer. The two work together in their own ways to try and decipher what actually happened.

This is a decently well shot film that explores a number of locations both in the city and out in some beautiful natural areas. It’s largely a movie about friendship and dealing with a traumatic moment. The chemistry between the leads in their friendship really does carry the experience as they’re easy to root for and fun to watch engage in their distinct lifestyles as those clash over the film.

I found the performances to be well done throughout the experience making the serious material here feel strong while also having levity in some of those brighter spots. It’s well balanced.

The Conclusion

Nika & Madison is an interesting look at potentially delicate tensions where characters try to handle a traumatic moment the best they can. It’s got some decent intense moments and is largely carried by the great chemistry of the two leads. It really does feel like a genuine friendship between the two with a good clash of recent environmental exposures.

I did find that the narrative trailed a tad bit towards the end once the two changed locations and a slightly odd yet good confrontation that I’m not sure would really be allowed to happen, if that makes sense. I really try to write around spoilers if I can. Still, the movie starts out strong and really interesting.

The leads work well together and I liked the split perspectives on the situation. It even concludes in what I believe to be a strong point. I just sort of expected something more towards that conclusion, seemed too easy going despite the chase of the proceeding moments.

Nika & Madison Review at Theater with Standard Viewing
Screening Provided by Calgary Film

Rating Overall: 6.2