New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 26, 2026

“New Rose Hotel” began life as a short story from author William Gibson, originally created for Omni Magazine in 1984. The tale tracked the experiences of two corporate espionage agents handling their latest case, and Gibson offered nine pages of drama and technology to follow. Nine pages. Co-writer/director Abel Ferrara attempts to find 90 minutes of movie in those nine pages, working with co-writer Chris Zois to embellish and amplify Gibson’s small idea. “New Rose Hotel” certainly plays like an adaptation nightmare, watching the production furiously taffy pull everything the author had to offer to keep going, while Ferrara often gives up on storytelling all together, adding scenes of arguing, improvisation, and sex to supply something for viewers to sit down with. The endeavor is an extraordinary test of patience, following Ferrara’s attempt to turn a study of corporate rule into cinematic jazz, and all the instruments are out of tune.

Fox (Christopher Walken) is a corporate espionage specialist, working with partner X (Willem Dafoe) as they deal with job opportunities to help large businesses wage employment wars with one another. Fox is looking to make a mess of the Maas Corporation, hired to help lure Dr. Hiroshi into defecting to the Hosaka Corporation, electing to use X’s prostitute, Sandii (Asia Argento), to seduce the target and pull him out of Maas control. There’s a plan for success that takes the agents to Shinjuku, Vienna, Berlin, and Marrakesh, but jealousy starts to poison the mission when X admits stronger feelings for Sandii. And suspicion increases when the situation sours for all, putting Fox and X in the middle of a bioengineering disaster they suspect Sandii of creating.

“New Rose Hotel” remains in line with Ferrara’s love of free-flowing moviemaking. There’s supposed to be a sense of adventure in the picture’s opening moments, as viewers are hit with extraordinary amounts of information without much emphasis, barely getting a sense of time and place before Fox starts rambling on about his dream of the “perfect blowjob.” There’s a target in Hiroshi, but the script doesn’t make him a character, only a vague figure of some corporate importance, requiring the services of Sandii to help soften his defenses and pull off the defection. The details of this arrangement are important to the plot, but Ferrara doesn’t care about storytelling, preferring to soak in the blurred atmosphere of the effort, and permit his cast to do whatever they want, which is exactly what Walken intends to do.

Most of “New Rose Hotel” is simply watching actors feel around for moments. Occasionally, information about corporate tensions will be introduced, but Ferrara quickly returns to acting class games, and he definitely shares his obsession with sex, spending a substantial amount of time on X and Sandii as they enjoy carnal encounters. There’s very little to “New Rose Hotel,” and Ferrara’s fascination with improv becomes grating, as there’s a germ of an idea in X’s growing jealousy and Sandii’s mysterious ways, but all that potential is ignored to focus on the thespians working to grab a moment or two for themselves, with Walken especially unfocused as he prances around with a cane, hamming it up.

New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (1.85:1 aspect ratio) for "New Rose Hotel" is listed as a "new 2K restoration from the 35mm interpositive." The movie already invests in murky cinematography to help generate mystery, but some degree of detail survives here in the softness, mostly when exploring skin particulars on the cast and their various states of exposure. Costuming has its texture as well, along with varied hairstyles. Interiors retain some dimension, with most of the endeavor captured in hotel rooms and lobbies. Exteriors are rare and muted. Color isn't prioritized by the production, but reds are certainly a highlight, offered on clothing and lighting. Hotel beige is also pronounced. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory, handling the production's loose ways with lighting. Source is in decent condition, with a few brief points of damage.

New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix is fighting the low-budget reality of "New Rose Hotel" and the production's iffy technical achievements. Dialogue exchanges are a bit muddy during the opening act, which could be intentional. Matters clear up as the film carries on. Music offerings support with decent instrumentation and dramatic support. Surrounds aren't engaged, leaving this a mostly frontal listening event, and sound effects are appreciable. Low- end perks up with heavier beats and industrial action.

New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet contains essays by Filipe Furtado, Justin LaLiberty, and Nick Newman.

• Commentary features film critic Adrian Martin.

• Intro (6:51, HD) is a video conference message from writer/director Abel Ferrara, who was new to the work of author William Gibson in the 1990s, interested in shaking up his career with an unusual project. The interviewee explores the interpretative nature of "New Rose Hotel," and his push to make the project, with producer Edward Pressman interested in something more commercial featuring Arnold Schwarzengger. Describing movies as a "dream," Ferrara pursued the elusive narrative of the short story, also finding a chance to work with updated technology of the day, provided with an opportunity to manipulate footage in fresh ways. He closes with a plug for his book, which contains information about the making of "New Rose Hotel," unwilling to share some of those tales here.

• "Wild & Wooly" (7:55, HD) is an interview with actor Willem Dafoe, who celebrates director Abel Ferrara and his ability to manage fragments of an idea, adapting a nine-page-long tale in "New Rose Hotel." Casting is celebrated, with co-star Christopher Walken analyzed, pointing out his professionalism and personality. Production tales are shared, setting up shop in New York City, aided by Ferrara's comfort with the location and overall curiosity in his filmmaking. The interviewee mentions a troubled shoot, but doesn't go too in-depth about issues, and he tracks his collaborative journey with Ferrara, happy to work with the exploratory helmer.

• "Doing Your Homework" (15:05, HD) is a video conference interview with actress Asia Argento, who recalls her casting story, receiving a phone call offer from director Abel Ferrerra, tasked with speeding to New York City to get the gig, admitted she wasn't exactly sober at the time. Argento shares pure love for Ferrara, identifying him as the primary reason for her interest in becoming a director. She also identifies her participation in "New Rose Hotel" as a career highlight. The interviewee details the shooting experience, working through characterization and story points, embracing the mystery of the material. Co-stars are assessed, thrilled to spend days with Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe, working with Ferrara's love of spontaneity and fondness for NYC.

• "I Had to be Cool" (17:16, HD) is an interview with composer Schoolly D, who originally met director Abel Ferrara in the 1980s, receiving a request to add his music to "The King of New York." The interviewee tracks his collaboration with Ferrara, hired to score "New Rose Hotel," transferring his lust for actress Asia Argento into a tight work ethic. Schooly D was involved in the shoot, spending time on-set to understand the "chaos" Ferrara was looking for, and he details creative choices made on the project, initially befuddled by the movie before learning to love it.

• "Checking into the New Rose Hotel" (10:56, HD) is a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicolas.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

New Rose Hotel Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's filler galore in "New Rose Hotel," which gently passes on following the globetrotting aspects of the spy game and potential worldwide disaster to retreat into X's mushy mind for the last 30 minutes of the picture, watching him process all that's happened, which allows Ferrara to repeatedly recycle sequences and exposition to help reach a sellable run time. And there's more sex, including a birthday orgy for some reason. "New Rose Hotel" turns from something potentially intriguing into something unendurable fairly quickly, especially when the reality of Ferrara's disinterest in Gibson's story becomes apparent, out to make a painfully amorphous picture with his usual cinematic obsessions.