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This is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such setups hinder individuals from finding closure, cause practical headaches, lead to tension, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. Seemingly, in a revelation fit for a direct-to-platform film, it reportedly leads to the dogs themselves to become depressed.

While respecting the emotional well-being of our pets – pet parents observe their deep emotional capacity. To witness a masterclass in canine melancholy, one need only look 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 have a hard time coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film around this situation works effectively seems debatable at best.

A Familiar Formula

Honestly, Merv, written by Dane Clark and Linsey Stewart and helmed by playwright Jessica Swale, doesn't pretend to be more profound than what it is. We have here a seasonal offering from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline proves to be straightforward: former spouses Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their post-breakup gloom is rivaled only by their dog's, take a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will presumably realize the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is visibly contrived – think obvious snow effects clinging to green trees as North Carolina substitutes for a cold December city.

Where the Film Shines

Whether these standard ingredients merge into something enjoyable depends on the execution and the viewer's appetite for cinematic comfort food. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for dog videos. It provides a plethora of scenes focused on the pet. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, pure puppy happiness.

The Human Element

This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. The tone wavers between serious study, broad humor, formulaic romance, and silly gags, failing to master a single genre. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny demanded of the dog resort scenario. He brings a endearing lack of ego that provides much of the film's charm for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will click for some but not others. Her Anna seems a little too aloof, particularly when contrasted against Cox's vulnerable performance. (For what it's worth, Merv himself manages acting depressed – he may not be a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still an excellent dog.)

The film attempts to provide depth to the couple's history for sequences focusing solely on them – which is unfortunate, since Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. As one might predict, it meets the bare minimum. The reason for their separation would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting all its marks. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – but I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.