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It is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that co-parenting a pet after a breakup is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups prevent individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and are a nuisance across the board. As it turns out, in a revelation worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.

Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict is sustainable is rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by its screenwriters and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity are modest. The narrative proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – played by a group of comedic actors – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as a summer location substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Dog's Domain

If these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience hinges on the actors' work and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of scenes focused on the pet. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, canine sorrow, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

This level of success does not extend for the interpersonal drama. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe demanded of the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that supplies the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, notably when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, considering the title character is undoubtedly the most adorable aspect of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The catalyst for the split would feel more nuanced with more screen time and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on Prime Video this December.