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It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups impede individuals from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for all parties. Apparently, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.

Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to life in two homes. The idea of basing a full holiday film on such a setup is sustainable seems rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think fake snow piled on lush pines as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

If these standard ingredients merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who browse regularly for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is Merv himself, and though it results in some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success is not earned for the romantic plot. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. His performance contains a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog manages acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)

Merv tries to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup would feel more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story about dog co-parenting has potential – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.

• Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.