🔗 Share this article

It is a common warning among many that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups prevent ex-partners from finding closure, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Apparently, in a revelation suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.

Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – pet parents attest to their profound sensitivity. To witness a standout portrayal in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film on this conflict holds water is a questionable prospect.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will presumably stumble toward the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – including familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a streaming service original, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects clinging to lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

How these familiar elements coalesce into something enjoyable rests upon the strength of the performances and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for dog videos. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the canine star, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. The character comes across as a little too aloof, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog manages flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to provide depth to the central romance for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their separation could have been more nuanced with less exposition and less blunt explanation. In the end, 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 brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.