In the vast, shadowy world of cult cinema, few films generate as much whispered controversy, midnight movie intrigue, and sheer baffled fascination as the 1982 Brazilian drama Amor Estranho Amor, known in English as Love Strange Love. For decades, this film has existed in a strange purgatory—too artistic for exploitation fans, too scandalous for mainstream audiences, and yet, utterly unforgettable for anyone who has seen it.
If you love strange cinema, forbidden love stories, or just want to hear the most awkward voice acting committed to film, track this down.
Amor Estranho Amor (also known as Love Strange Love), released in 1982, is a Brazilian erotic drama directed by Walter Hugo Khouri. It follows the journey of Hugo, a young boy sent to live with his mother in a high-class bordello during the political turmoil of 1930s Brazil. Amor Estranho Amor (Love Strange Love): Why the
Young Hugo becomes an accidental observer. As the only child in a house full of hardened, lonely sex workers, he navigates a bewildering world of adult intimacy, political intrigue, and awakening desire. The film’s central, shocking relationship blossoms between Hugo and Tamar (Xuxa Meneghel in her breakout role), a fragile, doll-like young woman. Their interactions, both innocent and profoundly transgressive, drive the movie toward a haunting climax that blurs the lines between maternal love, strange love, and exploitation.
Finding an English-dubbed version of this film is like hunting for a needle in a haystack. While Amor Estranho Amor Amor Estranho Amor (also known as Love Strange
The film’s notoriety stems from the participation of Xuxa Meneghel, who plays the prostitute Tamara. A few years after the film’s release, Xuxa became Brazil’s "Queen of Children," hosting a wildly popular kids’ TV show.
If you find a DVD rip or a fan restoration online, grab it. Watch it at 1:00 AM with the lights off. Do not watch it with your parents. As the only child in a house full
The film was banned in several countries and faced heavy censorship in Brazil. Modern audiences approaching the film today will undoubtedly find the thematic elements of a child observing and participating in the sex work of adult women to be deeply jarring and problematic.
