With the New York Film Critics announcing their annual awards on Dec.1, Sight and Sound is the first critics list to release its best of the year.

"The Assassin" topped the 20-film list, voted the best film of the year by 168 United Kingdom and international film critics. The film by Hou Hsiao-Hsien was no surprise winner, as it has been critically praised since it opened at the Cannes Film festival and went on to win the Best Director award. Additionally, it was Taiwan's pick to represent the country at the Academy Awards and has performed formidably at the box office.

"The Assassin" was joined on the list by other critically acclaimed films, including "Carol" and "Mad Max: Fury Road," which came in second and third, respectively.

"Carol" is a huge Oscar contender and has enjoyed a couple of great weeks. It was nominated for the Gotham and Indie Spirit Awards, and it opened to great numbers at the box office. The film is expected to get a huge boost in the coming weeks with the Golden Globe, SAG and Critics Choice nominations.

Meanwhile, "Mad Max: Fury Road" was a huge box office summer hit, and it was among the most respected films out of Cannes. Warner Bros. is attempting to get the film a Best Picture nomination, especially given its summer performance and critical success.

Two Portuguese films were also included on the list. Miguel Gomes' trilogy "Arabian Nights" was the fourth on the list, while Pedro Costa's "Horse Money" was No. 19, tied with "The Look of Silence." Both Portugese films were critical darlings, and "Arabian Nights" is representing the country at the Academy Awards.

Other films that made the list were "Son of Saul," "45 Years," and "Inside Out." However, Oscar contenders "Steve Jobs," "The Danish Girl," "Room," "Youth" and "The Revenant" failed to make the cut.

Here is the complete list:

1. "The Assassin," Hou Hsiao-Hsien

2. "Carol," Todd Haynes

3. "Mad Max: Fury Road," George Miller

4. "Arabian Nights," Miguel Gomes

5. "Cemetery of Splendour," Apichatpong Weerasethakul

6. "No Home Movie," Chantal Akerman

7. "45 Years," Andrew Haigh

8. "Son of Saul," Laszlo Nemes

9. "Amy," Asif Kapadi

10. "Inherent Vice," Paul Thomas Anderson

11. "Anomalisa," Duke Johnson & Charlie Kaufman

= "It Follows," David Robert Mitchell

13. "Phoenix," Christian Petzold

14. "Girlhood," Celine Sciamma

= "Hard to Be a God," Aleksei German

= "Inside Out," Pete Docter

= "Tangerine," Sean Baker

= "Taxi," Jafar Panahi

19. "Horse Money," Pedro Costa

= "The Look of Silence," Joshua Oppenheimer