diff --git a/TOOLS/docutils-wrapper.py b/TOOLS/docutils-wrapper.py
index 31ba976e64f8b..8e4ce57dc5060 100755
--- a/TOOLS/docutils-wrapper.py
+++ b/TOOLS/docutils-wrapper.py
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def remove(path):
     proc = subprocess.run(argv, check=True)
     if depfile is not None:
         convert_depfile(output, depfile)
-except:
+except Exception:
     remove(output)
     if depfile is not None:
         remove(depfile)
diff --git a/TOOLS/dylib_unhell.py b/TOOLS/dylib_unhell.py
index c8859692845b3..ed2136554d85d 100755
--- a/TOOLS/dylib_unhell.py
+++ b/TOOLS/dylib_unhell.py
@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ def is_user_lib(objfile, libname):
     return not sys_re.match(libname) and \
            not usr_re.match(libname) and \
            not exe_re.match(libname) and \
-           not "libobjc." in libname and \
-           not "libSystem." in libname and \
-           not "libc." in libname and \
-           not "libgcc." in libname and \
+           "libobjc." not in libname and \
+           "libSystem." not in libname and \
+           "libc." not in libname and \
+           "libgcc." not in libname and \
            not os.path.basename(libname) == 'Python' and \
-           not os.path.basename(objfile) in libname and \
-           not "libswift" in libname
+           os.path.basename(objfile) not in libname and \
+           "libswift" not in libname
 
 def otool(objfile, rapths):
     command = "otool -L '%s' | grep -e '\t' | awk '{ print $1 }'" % objfile
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ def get_rapths(objfile):
 
     try:
         result = subprocess.check_output(command, shell = True, universal_newlines=True)
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         return rpaths
 
     for line in result.splitlines():
@@ -90,9 +90,9 @@ def resolve_lib_path(objfile, lib, rapths):
 
 def check_vulkan_max_version(version):
     try:
-        result = subprocess.check_output("pkg-config vulkan --max-version=" + version, shell = True)
+        subprocess.check_output("pkg-config vulkan --max-version=" + version, shell = True)
         return True
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         return False
 
 def get_homebrew_prefix():
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ def get_homebrew_prefix():
     result = "/opt/homebrew"
     try:
         result = subprocess.check_output("brew --prefix", universal_newlines=True, shell=True, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL).strip()
-    except:
+    except Exception:
         pass
 
     return result
diff --git a/TOOLS/macos-sdk-version.py b/TOOLS/macos-sdk-version.py
index 12e1071d7588f..eadfda414dc6f 100755
--- a/TOOLS/macos-sdk-version.py
+++ b/TOOLS/macos-sdk-version.py
@@ -3,9 +3,7 @@
 # This checks for the sdk path, the sdk version, and
 # the sdk build version.
 
-import re
 import os
-import string
 import subprocess
 import sys
 from shutil import which
@@ -33,7 +31,7 @@ def find_macos_sdk():
         try:
             sdk_version = check_output([xcodebuild, '-sdk', 'macosx', '-version', 'ProductVersion'],
                                         encoding="UTF-8", stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
 
     if not isinstance(sdk_version, str):
diff --git a/TOOLS/matroska.py b/TOOLS/matroska.py
index 6abece6e95886..445e22237216d 100755
--- a/TOOLS/matroska.py
+++ b/TOOLS/matroska.py
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 Can also be used to directly parse Matroska files and display their contents.
 """
 
+import sys
+from math import ldexp
+from binascii import hexlify
+
 #
 # This file is part of mpv.
 #
@@ -242,14 +246,11 @@
 )
 
 
-import sys
-from math import ldexp
-from binascii import hexlify
-
 def byte2num(s):
     return int(hexlify(s), 16)
 
-class EOF(Exception): pass
+class EOF(Exception):
+    pass
 
 def camelcase_to_words(name):
     parts = []
@@ -291,9 +292,9 @@ def add_subelements(self, subelements):
 
 elementd = {}
 elementlist = []
-def parse_elems(l, namespace):
+def parse_elems(elements, namespace):
     subelements = []
-    for el in l:
+    for el in elements:
         if isinstance(el, str):
             name, hexid, eltype = [x.strip() for x in el.split(',')]
             hexid = hexid.lower()
@@ -328,10 +329,10 @@ def generate_C_header(out):
             continue
         printf(out)
         printf(out, 'struct {0.structname} {{'.format(el))
-        l = max(len(subel.valname) for subel, multiple in el.subelements)+1
+        length = max(len(subel.valname) for subel, multiple in el.subelements)+1
         for subel, multiple in el.subelements:
-            printf(out, '    {e.valname:{l}} {star}{e.fieldname};'.format(
-                        e=subel, l=l, star=' *'[multiple]))
+            printf(out, '    {e.valname:{length}} {star}{e.fieldname};'.format(
+                        e=subel, length=length, star=' *'[multiple]))
         printf(out)
         for subel, multiple in el.subelements:
             printf(out, '    int  n_{0.fieldname};'.format(subel))
diff --git a/TOOLS/stats-conv.py b/TOOLS/stats-conv.py
index 0a9cf4ee9eb25..774e77bdcce72 100755
--- a/TOOLS/stats-conv.py
+++ b/TOOLS/stats-conv.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def mkColor(t):
 
 for e in G.sevents:
     cur = ax[1 if e.type == "value" else 0]
-    if not cur in G.curveno:
+    if cur not in G.curveno:
         G.curveno[cur] = 0
     args = {'name': e.name,'antialias':True}
     color = mkColor(colors[G.curveno[cur] % len(colors)])
diff --git a/ci/lint-commit-msg.py b/ci/lint-commit-msg.py
index c795a98b09364..28907da378248 100755
--- a/ci/lint-commit-msg.py
+++ b/ci/lint-commit-msg.py
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
-import os, sys, json, subprocess, re
+import os
+import sys
+import json
+import subprocess
+import re
 from typing import Dict, Tuple, Callable, Optional
 
 def call(cmd) -> str: