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This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to become depressed.

Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – many owners attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup holds water is debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. It functions as a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries surrounding green trees as a summer location stands in for a cold December city.

Where the Film Shines

How these standard ingredients coalesce into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who browse regularly for cute animal clips. It provides a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Human Element

The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)

Merv tries to add substance to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is by far the best part of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their separation could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting all its marks. Making a film about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a stroke of genius.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.