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This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is ill-advised. The consensus suggests such setups prevent former couples from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and are a nuisance across the board. Seemingly, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it also makes our furry friends to become depressed.

Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – countless people attest to their remarkable empathy. To witness a prime example in pet despair, one need only look another performance. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adapting to split households. Whether this premise a full holiday film on this conflict works effectively seems rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The plot proves to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, embark on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as a cold December city.

The Dog's Domain

Whether these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the actors' work and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – those people who browse regularly for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.

Where It Wobbles

The same praise is not earned for the interpersonal drama. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, predictable love story, and physical comedy, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the silliness and cringe inherent in the bizarre setting. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Her co-star Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, notably when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Gus the Dog is convincing at looking despondent – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he is still a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to give weight to the central romance for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, since the dog is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation might seem more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv becomes available on Amazon Prime Video starting December 10.