🔗 Share this article

It is a common warning among many that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such situations impede former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for all parties. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.

While respecting the inner life of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable is debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

Honestly, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. The narrative unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina substitutes for the Northeast.

Where the Film Shines

Whether these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Human Element

The same praise is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, failing to master any one mode. This is not Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, brings a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna seems a touch too detached, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

The story strives to give weight to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – a bit of a pity, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for the split would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's not exactly a great one either.

• Merv streams on Prime Video this December.