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This is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Experts frequently claim such setups prevent individuals from healing, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for everyone involved. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to experience sadness.

Not to downplay the emotional well-being of animals – countless people speak of their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in pet despair, one need only look a past film. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. If this concept an entire Christmas romance around this situation holds water seems a questionable prospect.

A Familiar Formula

Fairness demands noting, Merv, the work of the writing duo and under the guidance of playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the complexity are modest. The narrative proves to be simple and direct: a separated couple Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is rivaled only by their dog's, take a therapeutic trip to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including a group of comedic actors – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Visually has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – as seen in fake snow clinging to verdant foliage as North Carolina stands in for a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

Whether these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and one's taste for comfort viewing. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a wealth of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie does offer walking sequences, canine sorrow, and, ultimately, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the human side of the story. The tone vacillates between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and physical comedy, not quite landing a single genre. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. He brings a likable self-deprecation that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this ostensibly perfect couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. The character can feel a touch too detached, especially when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, given that Merv is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The cause for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's hardly a stroke of genius.

• Merv premieres on the Amazon platform this December.