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Matt Donnelly
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From left: Nina Hoss, Chase Infinit and "The Julia Set" director Niki Byrne. “The Julia Set” has emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. In her feature debut, writer-director Niki Byrne crafted a perfect showcase for the talents of “One Battle After Another” breakout Chase Infiniti. The latter has earned raves for her turn as a math genius stuck under the thumb of an abusive boyfriend (and an academic system designed to ignore and exploit her). “Julia’s off-the-charts intelligence, which Infiniti embodies with exquisite conviction, changes the stakes of the movie; we’re rooting for her emotional salvation, but we’re also rooting for her to dazzle the universe with her talent,” wrote Variety’s Owen Gleiberman in his TIFF review. Indeed, Infiniti’s wide-eyed portrait of a prodigy is equal parts inspired and frustrating. Julia is recruited by a study group drilling for the Putnam Test — a six-hour math competition for undergraduates considered the most prestigious in the world. When Julia’s teacher’s assistant, Pascal (Christopher Briney), comes on hard and fast with romantic feelings, we watch Infiniti’s Julia struggle to balance blossoming romance with the obligation she has to her extraordinary gifts. Variety caught up with Byrne and Infiniti on the ground in Toronto this week, where the film premiered and is currently shopping for distribution
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