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This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a dog following a split is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such setups hinder ex-partners from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the canine in question to feel down.

Not to downplay the inner life of animals – pet parents attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, consider another performance. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adjusting to split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water seems debatable at best.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by director Swale, never aspires to be more profound than a light film. It functions as a seasonal offering from a corporate studio – the ambitions are modest. The plot is destined to be uncomplicated: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their individual funk is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – including familiar faces – serve as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is obviously artificial – exemplified by fake snow surrounding lush pines as North Carolina stands in for a cold December city.

Where the Film Shines

How these predictable parts merge into a pleasant experience depends on the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the canine star, and while this leads to some awkward editing between animal action and human reaction, the movie does offer canine party antics, dog depression, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

The Human Element

This level of success is not earned for the interpersonal drama. Its style wavers between emotional depth, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a likable self-deprecation that offers much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, brings a distinctive offbeat energy that will be to your taste or not. The character seems a bit too dry, especially when alongside Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, the canine performer is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he remains a scene-stealer.)

Merv tries to give weight to the central romance for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is easily the cutest element of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it achieves only baseline competence. The reason for their original breakup would feel more adult and realistic with greater exploration and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but it's not exactly a stroke of genius.

• Merv streams on Amazon Prime Video this December.