🔗 Share this article Merv Review – A Canine Star Dominates the Show in the Streaming Giant’s By-the-Book Christmas Romcom It is an often-repeated piece of advice for numerous people that sharing custody a pet following a split is a terrible idea. Most will argue such situations prevent former couples from healing, lead to scheduling chaos, spark arguments, and become annoying across the board. Seemingly, and in a twist fit for a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness. Not to downplay the mental health of our pets – pet parents attest to their profound sensitivity. If you need masterclass in pet despair, one need only look recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog of Merv's nature, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would struggle adjusting to divided living arrangements. If this concept a feature-length romcom on such a setup is sustainable remains rather doubtful. A Familiar Formula Fairness demands noting, Merv, written by the writing duo and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, makes no grand claims deeper than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a major tech-and-media conglomerate – the complexity remains surface-level. The plot is destined to be 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 uplifting getaway to a dog-friendly resort. At this location, predictably, they will surely rediscover the idea that they are better together. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – serve as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a platform's in-house production, with a Christmas setting that is clearly manufactured – think flurries clinging to green trees as a summer location doubles as a cold December city. The Canine Charisma How these predictable parts merge into an entertaining watch hinges on the execution and the viewer's appetite for easy entertainment. On the latter point, Merv targets a specific viewer – the kind who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a plethora of canine-centric sequences. The primary selling point is the dog, and though it results in some clunky cuts between the pet's "lines" and human reaction, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, dog depression, and, ultimately, pure puppy happiness. The Two-Legged Cast This level of success cannot be applied for the interpersonal drama. The film's approach wavers between serious study, broad humor, standard rom-com beats, and physical comedy, never fully committing to any one mode. No blame falls on the actor playing Russ, who is fully game the absurd and awkward required by the unusual premise. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that provides a significant portion of the appeal for this ostensibly perfect couple. Zooey Deschanel, true to her usual style, injects a particular brand of eccentricity that will click for some but not others. The character comes across as a little too aloof, notably when alongside Cox's genuine sadness. (It should be noted, Gus the Dog is convincing at acting depressed – while no Messi from that acclaimed drama, he is still a scene-stealer.) Merv tries to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – which is unfortunate, since the dog is easily the most adorable aspect of this feel-good picture. Unsurprisingly, it just about gets by. The reason for their separation could have been more adult and realistic with less exposition and less blunt explanation. As it stands, Merv is light and sugary, hitting every expected note. Making a film with this canine conflict is not terrible – though it's hardly a great one either. Merv premieres on the Amazon platform starting December 10.