Merv Review – A Four-Legged Actor Steals the Spotlight in Amazon’s By-the-Book Holiday Romance

It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements impede ex-partners from finding closure, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying across the board. Apparently, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.

While respecting the mental health of our pets – pet parents speak of their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in canine melancholy, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. If this concept a full holiday film on such a setup holds water is a questionable prospect.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as simple and direct: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Visually is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a warm climate stands in for a cold December city.

The Dog's Domain

If these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and an acceptance of cinematic comfort food. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who browse regularly for dog videos. It provides a wealth of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.

Where It Wobbles

The same praise does not extend for the romantic plot. The film's approach vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, failing to master a single genre. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the bizarre setting. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a touch too detached, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself succeeds in looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a very good boy.)

The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that the dog is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Unsurprisingly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for the split would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting all its marks. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting has potential – but it's hardly a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.