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This is a widely held belief for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such setups hinder individuals from moving forward, create logistical nightmares, fuel disputes, and prove frustrating for all parties. Apparently, as a development worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it can even cause our furry friends to feel down.

While respecting the mental health of our pets – many owners speak of their deep emotional capacity. If you need prime example in dog sorrow, one need only look another performance. I firmly believe that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix portrayed by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adapting to divided living arrangements. The idea of basing a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water seems rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. It functions as a holiday release from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the depth is limited. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: a separated couple Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, confronting that their own sadness is surpassed by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely stumble toward the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – played by Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – fulfill roles eccentric, underutilized, or over-the-top. The film's look carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – think fake snow surrounding green trees as a warm climate substitutes for a cold December city.

The Dog's Domain

How these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience rests upon the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – individuals who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is Merv himself, and though it results in some stilted moments between the pet's "lines" and the actors' responses, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

The Human Element

The same praise cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, failing to master a single genre. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the absurd and awkward required by the bizarre setting. Cox exhibits a endearing lack of ego that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, in her typical fashion, imparts a particular brand of eccentricity that will be to your taste or not. Her portrayal can feel a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (On another note, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – not quite Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)

The film attempts to give weight to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – which is unfortunate, considering Merv is undoubtedly the cutest element of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split might seem more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting precisely what you anticipate. Making a film on this shared-custody premise is not terrible – though it's hardly a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.