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This is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a canine companion after a breakup is ill-advised. Experts frequently claim such setups impede former couples from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Not to downplay the inner life of our pets – many owners observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in pet despair, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation works effectively is rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be anything more than its premise. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the depth remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – including familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow piled on green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

Whether these predictable parts come together into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – the kind who scroll endlessly for cute animal clips. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is Merv himself, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success cannot be applied for the human side of the story. Its style wavers between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and silly gags, never fully committing to a single genre. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a little too aloof, notably when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still an excellent dog.)

The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for their separation could have been more nuanced with more screen time and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.