The Julia Set brings college maths drama to Toronto
A college mathematics student with her sights on MIT is at the centre of The Julia Set, the 1-hour-52-minute feature written and directed by first-time film-maker Niki Byrne that screened in Special Presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Chase Infiniti stars as Julia. Christopher Briney plays Pascal, her teaching assistant and romantic interest. The story follows Julia through university maths, family life and a relationship that crosses a clear line on campus.
Nina Hoss plays Dr. Zatlan, a professor guiding students preparing for the Putnam Exam. Jason Isaacs plays Aleksander Mandelbrot, a maths scholar and Fields Medal recipient who is Pascal's father. The prize is one of the highest honours in mathematics.
The wider cast includes Gillian Anderson alongside Carmen Ejogo as Holly, Julia's mother, and Chloe Bailey as Erin, Julia's roommate. Nico Hiraga, Liz Lin and Alex Dillard also appear, with Dillard playing Evan, Julia's brother who has Down syndrome.
The runtime is 1 hour 52 minutes. That keeps the film inside the usual shape for a festival drama. No release date or distributor has been announced in the verified material.
Byrne directs from her own script. The leads have also spoken about the production in an interview headlined 'Chase Infiniti and Christopher Briney Talk The Julia Set', published by The Hollywood Reporter on 11 September 2026.
Briney said he prepared for the part in a matter of weeks, with attention on finding empathy for his character. Infiniti leads a young ensemble that mixes university life with home life, including scenes with Julia's mother, roommate and brother.
The film has started to draw trade coverage out of Toronto. Owen Gleiberman wrote a review for Variety published on 11 September 2026 under the headline "'The Julia Set' Review: Chase Infiniti Confirms Her Movie-Star Mettle in Niki Byrne's Riveting Math-Geek Bad Romance." Variety described the film as a math-geek bad romance.
What makes this stand out for a general viewer is the setting. University mathematics is the engine of the plot, from classroom hierarchies to exams and academic ambition, and the family story runs alongside it.
