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This is a common warning among many that jointly caring for a pet post-separation is a recipe for trouble. Most will argue such situations prevent former couples from finding closure, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.

Without minimizing the mental health of our pets – pet parents attest to their remarkable empathy. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, consider recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix brought to life by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation holds water remains rather doubtful.

Predictable Foundations

Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and directed by Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than its premise. We have here a holiday release from a corporate studio – the depth are modest. Its storyline 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 uplifting getaway to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Side characters – including Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – as seen in fake snow clinging to green trees as a summer location substitutes for the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

If these familiar elements merge into something enjoyable rests upon the actors' work and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a wealth of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and while this leads to some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie succeeds in showing canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

The Two-Legged Cast

The same praise does not extend for the human side of the story. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, broad humor, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to a consistent feel. This is not the actor playing Russ, who is admirably committed the silliness and cringe required by the unusual premise. Cox exhibits a charming humility that provides the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, 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, particularly when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Merv himself manages flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely an excellent dog.)

The story strives to add substance to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it achieves only baseline competence. The cause for the split could have been more nuanced with less exposition and fewer direct statements. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict has potential – even if it's hardly a great one either.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform on December 10th.