🔗 Share this article

It is a widely held belief among many that co-parenting a dog following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations hinder ex-partners from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Apparently, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to become depressed.

Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. To witness a standout portrayal in dog sorrow, simply recall recent cinema. There is little doubt that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. If this concept an entire Christmas romance on such a setup works effectively remains rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and helmed by director Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity is limited. The plot proves to be simple and direct: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a therapeutic trip to a canine-centric retreat. At this location, predictably, they will undoubtedly stumble toward the idea that they should reunite. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – exemplified by fake snow piled on verdant foliage as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

If these standard ingredients merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and an acceptance of easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv knows its audience – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. The film delivers a wealth of scenes focused on the pet. The central draw is the canine star, and though it results in some clunky cuts between what the dog does and the actors' responses, the movie does offer walking sequences, dog depression, and, finally, a tail-wagging resolution.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between relationship drama, zany antics, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a charming humility that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal seems a bit too dry, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – not quite a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to provide depth to Anna and Russ's relationship for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since the title character is undoubtedly the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and fewer direct statements. In the end, Merv is slight and sweet, hitting all its marks. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's not exactly a brilliant concept.

• Merv becomes available on Prime Video on December 10th.