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It is a widely held belief among many that jointly caring for a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups prevent ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying for all parties. Apparently, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to feel down.

Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle coping with divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict is sustainable remains rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, crafted by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a holiday release from a corporate studio – the ambitions are modest. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think flurries piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie does offer walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Two-Legged Cast

This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between relationship drama, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely an excellent dog.)

The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for the split would feel more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's not exactly a great one either.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.