🔗 Share this article

It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. As it turns out, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to our furry friends to feel down.

Without minimizing the mental health of animals – many owners speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need masterclass in pet despair, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively remains a questionable prospect.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – played by familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as North Carolina doubles as a cold December city.

The Canine Charisma

If these predictable parts come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer canine party antics, pet moping, and, ultimately, doggie joy.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and silly gags, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

Merv tries to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise has potential – even if it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.