It is the severity of the situation that makes the temporary releases from constantly being pursued all the more striking. That this specific emotion is transferred so expertly to the audience is what makes Nika & Madison a notable entry in indigenous cinema history. The viewer is not only given the knowledge of how native women are rampantly preyed upon, it also drops you into the assault, making you feel the violation. The viewer is then schooled about how raw a deal an indigenous woman who fights back gets from the system. The resulting atmosphere is utterly real in the desperation and frustration of being on the run, not letting yourself be wiped out. This is a vibe many in the native community can identify with. Now, thanks to Thomas, so can everyone else.
“Nika & Madison has one of the most perfect cinematic destinations ever: Nika’s trailer in the woods.”
It takes a few minutes for the kindling to light up. There could have been more finesse in the setup to the defining rapist clobbering. For a short while, there are piles of expository dialogue littering your path like obvious moose chips. Once the table is set, everything gets cooking, but I worry the After School Special opening doesn’t hint at the level of sophistication Nika & Madison eventually get to. It is also incredibly engrossing, as you cannot look away until you find out what happens to these poor women. Thomas also rewards the audience with the kind of story reveals that enhance the plot line even more than before. The escalations are well placed and played out in very satisfying ways.
The ending is incredibly brave, as it will have more than a few viewers demanding a more conventional wrap-up. However, the ending chosen is much more realistic, as the moment where it ends may be the last satisfaction to be had. Remember, this is a song of the doomed, because the world where there is surefire justice for the wronged doesn’t exist yet. While Nika & Madison further explore the themes of how the pair’s friendship was ruptured by their diverging paths, it also highlights how, through no fault of their own, those paths have been erased. It’s not the fanciest fork in the drawer visually, but that doesn’t stop it from plunging deep into the stomach repeatedly. Nika & Madison is a riveting trip to a unique emotional state, an escape that cannot be returned from.
Nika & Madison screened at the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film Festival.
"…a notable entry in indigenous cinema history."
