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It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such situations impede individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and prove frustrating across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause the canine in question to experience sadness.

Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – countless people speak of their profound sensitivity. For a masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by Gus the Dog, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance around this situation is sustainable is rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. Once there, as expected, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic carries the feel of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

If these familiar elements come together into an entertaining watch hinges on the strength of the performances and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and even if it causes some stilted moments between what the dog does and people's faces, the movie does offer canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a bit too dry, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – while no the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains a scene-stealer.)

The story strives to add substance to the central romance for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The cause for their separation might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling precisely what you anticipate. Crafting a story on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's not exactly a stroke of genius.

• Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.