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There’s a fine, touching performance, however, from Showko Showfukutei as Hana’s loving but fretful mother, desperately concerned for her daughter’s well-being but inclined to show love only through unrequired domestic service.—Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026 The quintessential late-’80s teen, Ryder here plays a fretful mom.—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 27 Nov. 2025 But that doesn’t mean viewers won’t be increasingly exasperated by the ways the screenplay forces Knightley’s character into a clumsy, fretful investigation.—The New York Times, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Investors are fretful heading into the August payrolls report.—Sarah Min, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fretful