Merv Review – A Canine Star Steals the Show in the Streaming Giant’s By-the-Book Christmas Romcom

It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such situations hinder former couples from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, as a development fit for a direct-to-platform film, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.

Not to downplay the inner life of animals – pet parents observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a spirited little dog played by a talented dog named Gus, would have a hard time adjusting to split households. Whether this premise an entire Christmas romance on this conflict holds water is a questionable prospect.

Standard Holiday Fare

Fairness demands noting, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the complexity remains surface-level. Its storyline unfolds as simple and direct: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is matched by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. The supporting cast – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a Christmas setting that is obviously artificial – exemplified by obvious snow effects clinging to verdant foliage as a summer location doubles as the Northeast.

The Canine Charisma

How these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the execution and one's taste for cinematic comfort food. Regarding the second aspect, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for pet content. Audiences receive a plethora of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the dog, and even if it causes some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, doggie joy.

Where It Wobbles

Such effectiveness is not earned for the human side of the story. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, not quite landing a single genre. This is not Cox's performance, who is fully game the humiliating and funny required by the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies much of the film's charm for this ostensibly perfect couple. Her co-star Deschanel, as is her trademark, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal seems a touch too detached, particularly when paired with Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – he may not be the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he's definitely a very good boy.)

Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, considering Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for the split could have been more grounded and mature with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. As it stands, Merv is gentle and pleasant, meeting precisely what you anticipate. Creating a movie with this canine conflict isn't a bad idea – even if I wouldn't call it a stroke of genius.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.