Merv Review – A Canine Star Commands the Spotlight in Amazon’s Formulaic Holiday Romance

It is a common warning in certain circles that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations impede ex-partners from moving forward, cause practical headaches, spark arguments, and become annoying for all parties. Seemingly, as a development suited to a streaming movie, it reportedly leads to the canine in question to feel down.

Without minimizing the mental health of dogs – countless people observe their profound sensitivity. If you need prime example in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog such as Merv, a scruffy terrier type brought to life by a talented dog named Gus, would struggle adapting to split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup holds water is a questionable prospect.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, the work of its screenwriters and under the guidance of director Swale, doesn't pretend to be deeper than what it is. This is a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth remains surface-level. The plot unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, decide on a therapeutic trip to a luxury pet hotel. At this location, predictably, they will presumably realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring familiar faces – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look is reminiscent of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – think flurries clinging to green trees as North Carolina doubles as the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

If these familiar elements coalesce into an entertaining watch depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who browse regularly for pet content. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The central draw is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between what the dog does and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness.

The Two-Legged Cast

This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach vacillates between serious study, zany antics, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, failing to master a consistent feel. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the unusual premise. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, imparts a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a very good boy.)

The film attempts to add substance to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, given that the title character is by far the cutest element of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it just about gets by. The reason for the split could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv premieres on Prime Video on December 10th.