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It is a widely held belief among many that sharing custody a pet following a split is a recipe for trouble. The consensus suggests such situations hinder individuals from moving forward, cause practical headaches, fuel disputes, and become annoying for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it also makes the dogs themselves to become depressed.

While respecting the inner life of our pets – pet parents attest to their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in dog sorrow, one need only look recent cinema. I firmly believe that a dog of Merv's nature, a scruffy terrier type portrayed by Gus the Dog, would find it difficult adjusting to life in two homes. If this concept a feature-length romcom on this conflict holds water is rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, crafted by its screenwriters and directed by playwright Jessica Swale, never aspires to be more profound than its premise. This is a seasonal offering from a streaming platform giant – the complexity is limited. Its storyline unfolds as straightforward: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), realizing that their post-breakup gloom is surpassed by their dog's, take a cheer-up vacation to a dog-friendly resort. Once there, as expected, they will surely realize the idea that they belong with each other. Ensemble players – featuring a group of comedic actors – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. The film's look has the quality of a branded content, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by obvious snow effects surrounding green trees as North Carolina doubles as a wintery Boston.

The Canine Charisma

Whether these familiar elements come together into a pleasant experience hinges on the execution and an acceptance of comfort viewing. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for dog videos. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and while this leads to some awkward editing between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, finally, doggie joy.

The Two-Legged Cast

This level of success does not extend for the romantic plot. The tone vacillates between emotional depth, wacky comedy, predictable love story, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. The fault lies not with the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the unusual premise. His performance contains a charming humility that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this seemingly ideal couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will either resonate with viewers. Her portrayal can feel a bit too dry, particularly when alongside Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Merv himself is convincing at flopping and whining – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.)

Merv tries to provide depth to the couple's history for scenes without their pet – a regrettable choice, considering Merv is easily the best part of this cute-aiming movie. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The catalyst for their original breakup could have been more adult and realistic with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. Ultimately, Merv is slight and sweet, meeting every expected note. Creating a movie on this shared-custody premise has potential – but I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform starting December 10.