If You Want to Watch a Good Pre-Christmas Rom-Com, Skip This New Prime Video Flop With 36% on RT
It's a formulaic, toothless, and emotionally empty rom-com that offers no warmth, originality, or compelling love story.
The rom-com is one of the most popular genres during the pre-Christmas season, but not every Christmas rom-com can put you in the right mood.
Amazon Prime Video's new release, Merv, is a clear example of this. Despite its seemingly promising cast and sweet premise about a sad dog, the movie received scathing reviews.
What Is 'Merv' About?
Russ, a schoolteacher, and Anna, an optometrist, recently separated after dating for ten years. The breakup was traumatic not only for them, but also for their dog, Merv, who fell into a deep depression.
To cheer Merv up, Russ decided to take him to a special beach resort for dogs. Much to his surprise, and annoyance, Anna showed up there, too.
Temporarily forced to join forces for the sake of their sad dog, the former partners find themselves in situations that force them to relive old grievances and possibly reconsider their decision to split up.
'Merv' Takes the Title of Most Clichéd Rom-Com of 2025
The plot of Merv is so predictable that it seems the writers simply crossed items off a list of genre clichés.
A forced trip together? Check. "That song" on the radio? Definitely. A romantic dance? Of course. The appearance of potential new flames to provoke jealousy? Yes, that too.
The entire setup merely serves as a backdrop for the couple's reunion. The cute dog that gives the movie its title is quickly reduced to a living prop and a catalyst for the characters' meeting.
Even Charlie Cox & Zooey Deschanel Can't Save This Empty Romantic Comedy
The biggest disappointment is the wasted talent of two excellent actors. Zooey Deschanel, known for her eccentric and charming roles, and Charlie Cox, who demonstrated his dramatic range in Daredevil, appear stiff and unnatural here.
They have no material with which to create a believable relationship because the script is lifeless and there's absolutely no chemistry between the leads.
Their characters are so superficially written that their decade-long love story exists only as a couple of photo albums they leaf through in a fit of nostalgia.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Merv'?
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Merv has 36% from critics and 38% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 5.5/10.
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On Letterboxd, Merv scored 2.6/5.0.
