🔗 Share this article

It is a widely held belief for numerous people that jointly caring for a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such situations hinder ex-partners from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Apparently, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to feel down.

Not to downplay the mental health of animals – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adjusting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom around this situation holds water is debatable at best.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by director Swale, makes no grand claims more profound than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth are modest. The plot proves to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.

The Canine Charisma

If these standard ingredients coalesce into something enjoyable depends on the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for pet content. Audiences receive a wealth of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, finally, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach shifts uneasily between emotional depth, wacky comedy, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a scene-stealer.)

Merv tries to provide depth to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the dog is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – though I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv premieres on Prime Video this December.