| DARKESTHOUR | Film nominated for Best Picture of 2017, and the key to making sense of the answers to the starred clues |
| WHITEOUT | Low-visibility driving condition, and the key to making sense of answers to the starred clues |
| ADDSALT | Recipe direction ... and a literal hint to what you can do to the starts of the answers to starred c |
| SPELLITOUT | Leave no room for misinterpretation ... or what the first words of the answers to the five starred c |
| IDRIS | "Molly's Game" (2017) and "The Wire" star Elba |
| JACOBLATIMORE | Actor who stars in both "Detroit" (2017) and The Chi |
| THERAKES | With 68 Across, 20th-century opera that ends in Bedlam ... or what the answers to the four starred c |
| SFORZANDO | Emphatically, the key to making bozos boss? (9) |
| ESC | The key to making a quick exit? |
| NOISECANCELLING | Like some headphones and a hint to making sense of the answers to the starred clues |
| LADYBIRD | 2017 film nominated for Best Picture ... or a hint to the answers to the eight starred clues |
| CIRCLESBACK | Brings up a prior topic ... or a hint to making sense of the answers to this puzzle's starred clues |
| TAKEITAWAY | "Let the show begin," and a hint to making sense of the starred clues' answers |
| NOWIN | Kind of situation, and a hint to making sense of the starred answers |
| WHATSUP | ["Give me 'The Academy' for $600"] This was only the second animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, after "Beauty and the Beast" |
| TAKEALETTER | Dictator's order, and how to make sense of the answers to the starred clues, in two ways |
| RAINOUT | Ballpark bummer, and a hint to making sense of the starred answers |
| RINGSIDE | Choice seating at a boxing match, and a hint to making sense of the peripheral answers |
| PRAISE | Express approval of, and, if reparsed, a hint to making sense of five pairs of answers |
| DEBUG | Work on software, and work to make sense of the answers to the starred clues? |
