Merv Review – A Canine Star Commands the Spotlight in Amazon’s By-the-Book Christmas Romcom

It is a common warning among many that co-parenting a dog post-separation is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such arrangements prevent former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a streaming movie, it can even cause our furry friends to become depressed.

Without minimizing the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people speak of their profound sensitivity. For a prime example in dog sorrow, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a spirited little dog brought to life by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adapting to split households. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems debatable at best.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, the work of Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims anything more than what it is. This is a holiday release from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, decide on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as the usual assortment of types. The film's look has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

Whether these standard ingredients coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. It provides a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on canine party antics, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.

Where It Wobbles

Such effectiveness is not earned for the romantic plot. Its style shifts uneasily between serious study, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is admirably committed the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides much of the film's charm for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's genuine sadness. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at flopping and whining – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he's definitely a very good boy.)

Merv tries to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a regrettable choice, considering the title character is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split might seem more nuanced with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. Ultimately, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.