Merv Review – A Four-Legged Actor Dominates the Show in Amazon’s By-the-Book Christmas Romcom

It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that jointly caring for a canine companion post-separation is a terrible idea. The consensus suggests such setups hinder ex-partners from healing, create logistical nightmares, spark arguments, and are a nuisance for everyone involved. As it turns out, and in a twist worthy of a direct-to-platform film, it also makes our furry friends to feel down.

Without minimizing the emotional well-being of our pets – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. For a standout portrayal in pet despair, one need only look a past film. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a scruffy terrier type played by a talented dog named Gus, would find it difficult coping with split households. The idea of basing an entire Christmas romance on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful.

A Familiar Formula

To its credit, Merv, crafted by the writing duo and under the guidance of director Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than what it is. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the depth are modest. The narrative unfolds as straightforward: former spouses Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), confronting that their individual funk is matched by their dog's, embark on a cheer-up vacation to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly realize the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as the usual assortment of types. Visually is reminiscent of a platform's in-house production, with a holiday backdrop that is visibly contrived – exemplified by flurries surrounding green trees as a summer location stands in for the Northeast.

The Dog's Domain

How these familiar elements merge into a pleasant experience depends on the strength of the performances and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv targets a specific viewer – those people who scroll endlessly for dog videos. Audiences receive a series of adorable dog montages. The main attraction is the canine star, and even if it causes some awkward editing between animal action and the actors' responses, the movie does offer dog beach fun, pet moping, and, in the end, doggie joy.

The Human Element

Such effectiveness cannot be applied for the romantic plot. The film's approach wavers between relationship drama, broad humor, formulaic romance, and physical comedy, not quite landing any one mode. The fault lies not with Charlie Cox, who is fully game the humiliating and funny inherent in the dog resort scenario. Cox exhibits a charming humility that supplies a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Anna's portrayer, true to her usual style, injects a distinctive offbeat energy that will either resonate with viewers. Her Anna comes across as a bit too dry, especially when contrasted against Cox's heartfelt sincerity. (For what it's worth, Gus the Dog is convincing at looking despondent – he may not be Messi from that acclaimed drama, he's definitely a very good boy.)

Merv tries to give weight to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, considering the dog is easily the cutest element of this feel-good picture. Expectedly, it meets the bare minimum. The cause for their separation would feel more adult and realistic with more screen time and less blunt explanation. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, fulfilling every expected note. Making a film on this shared-custody premise isn't a bad idea – though I wouldn't call it a brilliant concept.

• Merv becomes available on the Amazon platform starting December 10.