This is a widely held belief in certain circles that sharing custody a canine companion after a breakup is ill-advised. Most will argue such arrangements impede individuals from moving forward, lead to scheduling chaos, lead to tension, and prove frustrating for all parties. Seemingly, and in a twist suited to a streaming movie, it can even cause the dogs themselves to experience sadness.
Not to downplay the emotional well-being of dogs – countless people observe their remarkable empathy. To witness a masterclass in canine melancholy, simply recall recent cinema. It seems certain that a dog like Merv, a wired-hair terrier mix played by the canine actor Gus, would have a hard time coping with split households. The idea of basing a full holiday film on this conflict holds water is debatable at best.Predictable Foundations
Honestly, Merv, written by its screenwriters and under the guidance of Jessica Swale, never aspires to be anything more than a light film. We have here a Christmas movie from a streaming platform giant – the ambitions remains surface-level. The narrative proves to be straightforward: exes Russ, played by Charlie Cox and Anna (Zooey Deschanel), forced to acknowledge that their individual funk is rivaled only by their dog's, decide on a uplifting getaway to a luxury pet hotel. Once there, as expected, they will undoubtedly rediscover the idea that they should reunite. Side characters – featuring Chris Redd, Jasmine Mathews, and others – are crafted as quirky, thinly written, or broadly comic. Its aesthetic has the quality of a streaming service original, with a holiday backdrop that is clearly manufactured – as seen in flurries piled on lush pines as North Carolina substitutes for a wintery Boston.
The Canine Charisma
If these familiar elements come together into something enjoyable rests upon the execution and one's taste for easy entertainment. For the comfort factor, Merv hones in on a demographic – those people who seek out for cute animal clips. The film delivers a series of adorable dog montages. The primary selling point is the canine star, and while this leads to some stilted moments between animal action and people's faces, the movie delivers on dog beach fun, canine sorrow, and, in the end, a tail-wagging resolution.
Where It Wobbles
This level of success does not extend for the human side of the story. The tone shifts uneasily between serious study, wacky comedy, standard rom-com beats, and outright slapstick, never fully committing to any one mode. This is not Charlie Cox, who is fully game the silliness and cringe demanded of the dog resort scenario. His performance contains a likable self-deprecation that offers a significant portion of the appeal for this on-the-rocks couple. Zooey Deschanel, in her typical fashion, injects a certain millennial quirkiness that will be to your taste or not. The character can feel a little too aloof, especially when paired with Cox's genuine sadness. (On another note, the canine performer manages flopping and whining – not quite the award-winner from Anatomy of a Fall, he remains an excellent dog.)
The film attempts to add substance to Anna and Russ's relationship for scenes without their pet – a bit of a pity, considering the dog is undoubtedly the best part of this film designed for charm. Expectedly, it just about gets by. The cause for the split would feel more adult and realistic with more screen time and more subtle storytelling. In the end, Merv is light and sugary, hitting every expected note. Creating a movie about dog co-parenting is not terrible – even if it's hardly a brilliant concept.
- Merv streams on Prime Video on December 10th.
