A panel of film critics has voted Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s martial arts film "The Assassin" the best movie of 2015. The British Film Institute (BFI) announced the critics’ decision on Friday.
BFI invited 168 critics to nominate the best five films they have seen this year. The Assassin beat out Oscar-tipped lesbian drama "Carol" and action blockbuster "Mad Max: Fury Road" in the nominations. "The Assassin" was also the only Chinese-language film in the top-20 list.
BFI said that Hou’s film was a rare example of a film combining martial arts with a love story.
The Assassin has been showing at the London Film Festival since October and will begin showing at local theaters in January 2016.