SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne calls Niki Byrne’s feature directorial debut “an inspirational and satisfying watch” in his The Julia Set film review.
“The Julia Set is an inspirational and satisfying watch…and a well-executed feature debut from Byrne.” -Kevin Bourne
One of the films that seemed to fall under people’s radar at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival was Niki Byrne’s feature directorial debut The Julia Set starring Chase Infiniti, Christopher Briney, Chloe Bailey, Gillian Anderson, and Jason Isaacs.
The film is centered around Julia (Infiniti), a university student and mathematical genius. Recognizing her mathematical genius is her teachers assistant Pascal (Briney) who recruits her to join a team of bright, young mathematicians set to compete at the Putnam Exam, the most challenging math competition in North America. Soon, she finds there’s more to her TA than she thought.
Making her path to success even harder is her tough as nails mathematician professor Hedda Zatlan (Nina Hoss) who fails to recognize her genius, her family who is more focused on her brother Evan (Alex Dillard) who has Down’s Syndrome than her aspirations, and of course, a brewing love interest. It has some strong themes, including sexism, racism, abuse, classism, and privilege, as Julia navigates mathematics, a world dominated by white men.
This is an intriguing story in that it’s not everyday that you see a young Black female character who is a math genius. It follows some of the same formula as Akeelah and the Bee (2006). It’s a coming-of-age film as Julia not only learns to own her genius, but she also learns to enjoy a bit of what university life has to offer, including love and friendship. She also finds her voice and gives herself permission to go after what she wants.
Alongside the story, this film comes down to strong performances from its cast. Chase Infiniti is believable as the doe-eyed, young student who is learning to navigate a lot of firsts and come into her own. Small details like her facial expressions and slight hesitations to show isn’t exactly sure of herself is what elevate this from a good performance to a great performance. Christopher Briney delivers an exceptional performance as he navigates the pressures and mental turmoil of being the son of a famed mathematician whose name is literally on the building.
Rounding out the impressive performances are Gillian Anderson, Pascal’s mathematician mother who sees a lot of herself in Julia, and Alex Dillard who plays Julia’s funny and adorable brother. Dillard on his own proves why actors with disabilities and special needs need more roles as the character adds another layer to the story. There’s Chloe Bailey as Erin, Julia’s brutally honest college roommate and personal hype girl who is enjoying everything university life has to offer. Bailey grows into the character and performance over the course of the film as she portrays one of the more lovable characters. Lastly, there’s Jason Issacs who plays Aleksander Mandelbrot, Pascal’s overbearing, asshole mathematician father.
Overall, The Julia Set is an inspirational and satisfying watch. It was also a pleasant surprise at TIFF 2026 and a well-executed feature debut from Byrne.
If you’re easily offended by messaging about privilege, especially white privilege, racism, classism, and sexism, this film may not be for you. But there’s a lot to be proud of in this film, especially if you’re a woman, Black person, or member of the disabled community. But beyond that, if you just love a good old, universal coming-of-age story about overcoming the odds, no matter your race, age, or gender, this is a movie to put on your radar in 2026.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s editor-in-chief and Senior Arts & Entertainment Reporter focusing on film & TV, music, and fashion. He was named one of 340 international voters for the Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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