Living in a car with his fugitive mom, a young boy yearns for a normal family life. “Beneath the Grass,” directed by Sam Friedman and William Bermudez, is an artful drama carried by a terrifically natural lead performance from Joshua Garcia. With his frantic mother clawing to keep it together, Leo is caught in the back seat darting from parking spot to parking spot during the Christmas season. He just wants a home and a peaceful existence and he begins looking for a way out of the maelstrom, whatever it takes. Gripping in its simplicity as much as the intensifying tension between Leo and the outside world, the film is perhaps most notable for the believability and emotional potency of Garcia’s ever distressed gaze. -KA. Written, Directed, Editing, & Color by Sam Friedman & William Bermudez. Starring Joshua Garcia, Cait Zuckerman, David Bushery, Ted Braveman. Producer & AD: Caden Ghen. Director of Photography: Nathan Ginter. Assistant Camera: Aidan Flynn. Production Sound: Caden Ghen. Production Design & PA: Soraya Obeid.