Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a 2021 documentary film about Poly Styrene, the lead singer of X-Ray Spex.[2] Directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng, the film features Bell, Poly Styrene's daughter, exploring her mother's history and legacy through archival footage and interviews with her peers and fans.[3]
The film features narration of Poly Styrene's personal diaries by actress Ruth Negga.[4]
The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 27 February 2021,[5] in advance of its commercial release on a digital platform on 5 March.[4]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 98% of 54 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché pays worthy tribute to its trailblazing subject with a documentary that honors her life as engagingly as it chronicles her career."[6]
At the British Independent Film Awards 2021, the film won the award for Best Documentary and the Raindance Discovery Award.[7]
The film was the winner of the Documentary Award at the 2021 Whistler Film Festival.[8]