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It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Most will argue such situations hinder ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, as a development suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.

Not to downplay the mental health of animals – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water remains debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions is limited. Its storyline unfolds as uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.

Where the Film Shines

If these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable hinges on the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for pet content. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward inherent in the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages looking despondent – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is easily the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling all its marks. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on Prime Video starting December 10.