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This is a widely held belief for numerous people that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such arrangements prevent ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Apparently, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in canine melancholy, consider a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult adapting to life in two homes. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict is sustainable remains rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. It functions as a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will surely realize the idea that they should reunite. The supporting cast – featuring a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a wintry atmosphere that is visibly contrived – exemplified by fake snow clinging to lush pines as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and an acceptance of easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv knows its audience – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. He brings a charming humility that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal comes across as a touch too detached, notably when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still an excellent dog.)

The story strives to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the title character is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if it's hardly a stroke of genius.

• Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform on December 10th.