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This is an often-repeated piece of advice in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such arrangements prevent former couples from finding closure, lead to scheduling chaos, fuel disputes, and become annoying for all parties. As it turns out, in a revelation suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to feel down.

While respecting the mental health of animals – countless people observe their deep emotional capacity. For a masterclass in pet despair, one need only look a past film. There is little doubt that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would find it difficult adapting to divided living arrangements. Whether this premise a full holiday film around this situation is sustainable seems rather doubtful.

Standard Holiday Fare

To its credit, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be deeper than its premise. This is a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be uncomplicated: exes Russ (Charlie Cox) and Anna, portrayed by Zooey Deschanel, forced to acknowledge that their own sadness is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a canine-centric retreat. There, inevitably, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they belong with each other. The supporting cast – featuring familiar faces – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually carries the feel of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – think flurries surrounding lush pines as a warm climate doubles as the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

If these familiar elements merge into an entertaining watch rests upon the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv knows its audience – individuals who seek out for dog videos. It provides a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The main attraction is the dog, and though it results in some clunky cuts between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on canine party antics, pet moping, and, finally, pure puppy happiness.

The Two-Legged Cast

This level of success cannot be applied for the romantic plot. Its style vacillates between emotional depth, zany antics, formulaic romance, and outright slapstick, failing to master any one mode. The fault lies not with Cox's performance, who is willing to embrace the humiliating and funny required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers the bulk of the chemistry for this seemingly ideal couple. Anna's portrayer, as is her trademark, brings a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. Her portrayal comes across as a bit too dry, especially when paired with Cox's vulnerable performance. (On another note, Gus the Dog succeeds in acting depressed – while no a canine thespian of that caliber, he is still a very good boy.)

The story strives to provide depth to the couple's history for moments when the dog is absent – a bit of a pity, given that Merv is by far the most adorable aspect of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The reason for the split would feel more nuanced with greater exploration and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, meeting every expected note. Crafting a story with this canine conflict is not terrible – even if I wouldn't call it a great one either.

• Merv streams on the Amazon platform this December.