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It is an often-repeated piece of advice among many that sharing custody a pet after a breakup is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements hinder ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, lead to tension, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Without minimizing the inner life of dogs – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall another performance. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict works effectively seems rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a corporate studio – the ambitions are modest. The plot proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by obvious snow effects piled on green trees as a warm climate stands in for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

If these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and while this leads to some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie succeeds in showing dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, doggie joy.

Where It Wobbles

The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. The film's approach vacillates between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny demanded of the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a distinctive offbeat energy that will click for some but not others. Her Anna can feel a touch too detached, notably when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)

The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is by far the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting isn't a bad idea – though it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 10th.