Cavalcanti brought a zestful, if sometimes grotesque, authenticity to this fast-moving version of the Dickens novel, which William K. Everson notes was “snubbed critically and ignored by the public because it didn't have the gloss or the star power of Great Expectations. Nicholas Nickleby suffers from trying to cram in too many incidents and characters from the novel's rich tapestry. (It took nine hours to do it on stage after all!) But it's a colorful and stylish film, full of interesting (and in some cases little known) players, and in its closing reels, Cavalcanti's compositions and lighting bring it very much into the noir fold.”