🔗 Share this article

This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements hinder former couples from healing, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Without minimizing the inner life of our pets – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom around this situation is sustainable is debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than what it is. This is a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by familiar faces – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think flurries clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

How these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv hones in on a demographic – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style wavers between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. No blame falls on Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward demanded of the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, particularly 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 remains a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a regrettable choice, since the title character is easily the best part of this film designed for charm. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.

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