The Assassin

SYNOPSIS

The Assassin (刺客聂隐娘) is a 2015 wuxia film co-written and directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, starring Shu Qi and Chang Chen. A Taiwanese–Chinese–Hong Kong international co-production, the film is loosely based on the ninth-century Chinese short story "Nie Yinniang" by Pei Xing. The Assassin premiered on 21 May 2015 at the Cannes Film Festival, where Hou won Best Director. It was released in China and Hong Kong on 27 August 2015, and a day later in Taiwan. It was Taiwan's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards, but was not nominated. Critically acclaimed, The Assassin was named the best film of 2015 by Sight & Sound magazine. It was Hou's final film before his retirement in 2023 after it was announced that he was battling with dementia.