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This is a common warning in certain circles that sharing custody a dog after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups impede individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, as a development fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.

Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. For a prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adapting to split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water remains debatable at best.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the depth remains surface-level. The narrative is destined to be straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles the usual assortment of types. Visually has the quality of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is clearly manufactured – think obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.

The Dog's Domain

How these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for pet content. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on walking sequences, pet moping, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward inherent in the unusual premise. He brings a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, notably when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)

The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, given that Merv is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it achieves only baseline competence. The catalyst for their original breakup would feel more nuanced with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video this December.