(KTLA) – Whether it’s starting to feel like fall in your area or not, Halloween season is in full swing and the pumpkin spice is flowing. There are also plenty of scary movies to choose from on cable TV or streaming services.

But if you’re not exactly a horror lover, have no fear (pun intended). Like any film genre, horror comes in a variety of flavors and intensity. Even the term “horror” is pretty loose and less restrictive than you might think, because for every “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” there’s a “Leprechaun 4: In Space.”

We’ve compiled a list of “mild” or spooky-but-not-scary horror movies for those who want to dip their toe into the genre this Halloween season. Enjoy!

“Sinners” (2025), dir. Ryan Coogler

Director Ryan Coogler’s follow-up to his “Black Panther” films reunites the Academy Award nominee with actor Michael B. Jordan — or should we say, two Michael B. Jordans. Set in the early 1930s, “Sinners” follows twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore (both played by Jordan), big city criminals who return to their small Mississippi town to open the area’s first Black-owned, Black-patronized juke joint.

Smoke and Stack get the bar running but opening night is derailed by some local vampires, who set in motion a night of terror for the whole crew. Who will survive the night?

Released back in April, “Sinners” was an unexpected smash hit, earning over $365 million worldwide. The film was praised for its thematical exploration of racial assimilation, appropriation and violence in the Jim Crow-era South. It’s also a lot of fun!

Where to stream “Sinners”: HBO Max.

“Freaky” (2020), dir. Christopher Landon

This zany horror-comedy had the misfortune of being released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, so it’s safe to say it got somewhat buried in the shuffle. Director Christopher Landon’s follow-up to his two “Happy Death Day” movies (which also wouldn’t be out of place on this list) gives the “body swap” comedy a unique horror spin. High schooler Millie (Kathryn Newton) is attacked by a local urban legend killer, the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), but instead of killing her, the attack causes the two to switch bodies.

Now inside the body of a regular teen girl, the Butcher is ready for a rampage, unless Millie (inside the Butcher’s body) and her friends can stop him.

Fans of the “Scream” franchise will enjoy this campy and original slasher co-written by the screenwriter of other memorable horror-comedies like “It’s a Wonderful Knife” and 2025’s “Heart Eyes.”

Where to stream “Freaky”: Prime Video.

“The Fog” (1980), dir. John Carpenter

In John Carpenter’s 1980 supernatural horror film, a northern California coastal town is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary but a crew of vengeful pirate ghosts might just kill the party. It sounds somewhat goofy on paper but it somehow works.

Horror master Carpenter also co-wrote “The Fog” with writer/producer Debra Hill, his partner in bringing 1978’s masterpiece “Halloween” to life. Like that film, “The Fog” features an eerie Carpenter score, a hypnotic atmosphere, and beautiful visuals courtesy of cinematographer Dean Cundey, also of “Halloween.”

Although “The Fog” received a more mixed response upon its release than “Halloween,” time has been kind to the vibey ghost story, and it’s now regarded among Carpenter’s classic films.

Where to stream “The Fog”: Free on Kanopy with your library card (at participating libraries), in addition to Fubo, the Roku Channel, and the Criterion Channel.

“Spree” (2020), dir. Eugene Kotlyarenko

This found-footage horror-comedy is unique among this list, as it’s told mostly from the killer’s perspective. “Stranger Things” star Joe Keery stars as rideshare driver Kurt Kunkle, a wannabe influencer who will do just about anything to go viral — including murder. One night, Kunkle goes forward with an idea he believes will be his ticket to infamy: murdering passengers he picks up and streaming it live online.

But along the way, things get complicated and Kunkle’s plan goes awry. As a plucky female comedian (former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Sasheer Zamata) becomes a problematic intended victim, the movie’s tension focuses on whether or not (or how) Kunkle will be stopped.

Keery’s charmingly pathetic take on the main character helps “Spree” from ever feeling too dark, and the film is filled with contemporary jokes aimed at social media, the concept of influencing, and hustle culture.

Where to stream “Spree”: Free on Hoopla with your library card (at participating libraries), in addition to AMC+, Shudder and Mubi.

“Thanksgiving” (2023), dir. Eli Roth

Audiences’ first taste of Eli Roth’s “Thanksgiving” came all the way back in 2007, when the Roth-directed short of the same name debuted as one of the fake exploitation film trailers in the Quentin Tarantino-Robert Rodriguez cinema event “Grindhouse.” In 2023, the film finally became a reality.

The film follows what happens when a pilgrim-dressed killer returns to Plymouth, Massachusetts, one year after an infamous Black Friday riot ends in death. One-by-one, many townspeople in become the target of the killer’s vengeance.

Though Roth’s original “Grindhouse” take on “Thanksgiving” was a tribute to slashers of the 1970s — think “Black Christmas” and “Halloween” — “Thanksgiving” (2023) feels closer to a slasher movie of the 1990s. Whether through the quippy dialogue of its teen characters or its parodic depiction of holiday consumerism, “Thanksgiving” conjures feelings one might have felt watching the first “Scream” movie back in 1996 (or watching it on VHS tape sometime later, in secret, because you were too young in 1996).

Where to stream “Thanksgiving”: Hulu and Fubo.

“What Lies Beneath” (2000), dir. Robert Zemeckis

Director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”) has frequently attributed his 2000 supernatural horror thriller to inspiration from the classic films of Alfred Hitchcock, and “What Lies Beneath” delivers on the similar atmosphere, mystery and deliberate tension-building of films like “Psycho” and “Rear Window.” The film follows recent empty-nester Claire (Michelle Pfeiffer) who suspects her neighbor killed his wife — and that her ghost is now haunting the home Claire shares with scientist husband Norman (Harrison Ford). As Claire searches for the truth, she realizes everything might not be what it seems.

Zemeckis’ film is beautifully shot and set, as much of the film takes place in and around a gorgeous lakeside Vermont home (one of our favorite houses in any movie). And while the film leans heavily toward “thriller” instead of “horror,” it’s still a perfect fall chiller. Curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a throw blanket and you’re ready for this 2000 blockbuster.

P.S. “What Lies Beneath” was well-noted for a (non-spoiler) bathtub scene, which drew comparisons to (and was obviously inspired by) Hitchcock’s famous “Psycho” shower scene. It’s one of the film’s most iconic images, and tensest scenes.

Where to stream “What Lies Beneath”: Free on Hoopla and Kanopy with your library card (at participating libraries), in addition to Paramount+ and the Criterion Channel.

“A Haunting in Venice” (2023), dir. Kenneth Branagh

Of the films on this list, “A Haunting in Venice” may be the one stretching the “horror” label furthest — but that doesn’t mean it’s not plenty spooky. It’s the third installment in director/actor Kenneth Branagh’s films based on Agatha Christie’s “Hercule Poirot” books, and is honestly the most fun of the three.

“A Haunting” finds Christie’s famed Belgian detective (played by Branagh) wasting away in post-retirement after the end of World War II. Though he’s tired of solving mysteries, an old friend (Tina Fey) convinces him to attend a séance at a Venetian palazzo to expose a famed medium (Michelle Yeoh) as a fraud.

After a storm leaves the party stuck inside the allegedly haunted home, people end up dead, and what’s more, Poirot himself starts seeing ghosts. Christie herself never dabbled in supernatural explanations, and this movie doesn’t either. What’s so fun about “A Haunting in Venice” is figuring out the real-world explanations for what seems unexplainable.

Where to stream “A Haunting in Venice”: Hulu.

“Hush” (2016), dir. Mike Flanagan

Before showrunning some of Netflix’s biggest horror series (“The Haunting of Bly Manor,” “The Fall of the House of Usher”), Mike Flannagan directed this unsung and underappreciated home invasion film. “Hush” follows non-speaking deaf horror writer Maddie (Kate Siegel), who’s looking forward to a night of drafting at her semi-remote home in the woods.

That is until a masked man, armed with a crossbow, appears outside with intent to kill. As the intruder attempts to use Maddie’s disabilities against her, the plucky heroine uses her other senses to outsmart him — and hopefully get him before he gets her.

Though it’s not exactly a top-line horror title, “Hush” is something of a beloved treasure in the horror community. The film, which was previously only available to stream on Netflix, received widespread campaigns calling for its release after it was removed. The film was eventually released on physical media last year and has since been made available to stream in multiple places. If that’s not enough, two horror greats have also been among the film’s biggest fans. In 2016, Stephen King praised “Hush,” saying it’s “up there with ‘Halloween,” while “The Exorcist” director William Friedkin tweeted, “‘HUSH’ is a great horror film.”

Where to stream “Hush”: Peacock, Philo, Plex, AMC+ and Shudder.

We hope you have a safe and just-spooky-enough Halloween season! And never forget: Horror is a year-round genre, so if you love any of these — keep on watching more.