# Josh Janssen in In Guns We Trust (2026): Everything They Say in the Film

URL: https://ingunswetrustfilm.com/transcript/people/josh-janssen/

> Every line Josh Janssen speaks in In Guns We Trust (2026), the feature documentary by Josh Janssen with Tommy Jackett: 199 lines in 27 scenes, with the time of each, from the film's transcript. Director, co-host and narrator.

Transcript · In the film

# Josh Janssen

Director, co-host and narrator

Josh fires blanks in a mock shootout staged by Dutch Merrick's team in Los Angeles. Still ›

**In the film**

199 lines in 27 scenes, 2503 words. First speaks at 1:24.

**Scenes**

Two Australians who love America, Pants on, guns on, The country talks at once, The argument for not knowing, Arrival, Sammy's tour, Teach people, or hear people, Dutch Merrick, Hollywood armourer, In-N-Out, then Autumn, The barbershop, First live rounds, with Mike Sodini, Gina and Ray at the gun shop, Mychael Waller: three times, Dragonland, The sheriff in the diner, Twin Tommy guns, and a live round, Hogs from a helicopter, Are we becoming desensitised?, Every corner has a murderer, Halloween with family, Kids to Kings, Moon Pies, The ammunition vending machine, A safe place within the safe place, Drills, data and the capital, What a bullet does, A shooting on their street

**Elsewhere**

In the credits · IMDb

1:24

## 2. TWO AUSTRALIANS WHO LOVE AMERICA — UNITED STATES

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:24): My name's Josh, and this is my best mate Tommy. And for as long as we both can remember, we've loved America. As Australians, we love their food, their movies, and their bigger-is-better attitude.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:43): But one thing we've never understood is their gun culture.

1:46

## 3. PANTS ON, GUNS ON — UNITED STATES

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:56): Josh.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:57): Most Australians, including myself, don't understand or relate to America's obsession with guns.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (2:09): Can we make a documentary that shares a unique perspective beyond what we see in the headlines?

2:15

## 4. THE COUNTRY TALKS AT ONCE — UNITED STATES

**JOSH JANSSEN** (2:42): What does that mean, exactly?

2:45

## 5. THE ARGUMENT FOR NOT KNOWING — MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

**JOSH JANSSEN** (3:00): I think it's, like, doing this topic justice. I think I don't know enough, and I feel like that's been a stress, which is, like—

**JOSH JANSSEN** (3:09): I think that people would call out and say, "Oh, you don't know what you're talking about. Why do you think that you're in a position to make this documentary?"

**JOSH JANSSEN** (3:35): Yeah, it's crazy to think that in a couple of weeks' time we'll be in the car, driving on the wrong side of the road, upside down.

3:45

## 6. ARRIVAL — LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

**JOSH JANSSEN** (3:59): It's got, like... It's a big American car. That's all I know. I'll drive.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (4:10): Thank you.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (4:13): Nervous?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (4:16): No, bro, he just stuck his finger up.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (4:19): Come on, man.

4:29

## 7. SAMMY'S TOUR — HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (4:35): We're starting the journey in Los Angeles, home of the world's biggest movie stars and storytellers. Being outsiders telling a story so foreign to us, I'm a little skeptical, but my mate Tommy is a little bit more relaxed about the whole thing.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (5:00): To get over the jet lag, we've booked a Hollywood bus tour to find our bearings.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (5:12): Cool car!

**JOSH JANSSEN** (5:26): Where do you think is the best place we should go to experience guns?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (5:59): What do you think about the Second Amendment?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (6:34): And so that was when you were a contractor?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (7:02): Sammy, when you were going through that PTSD, did you have a gun at your house?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (7:20): We weren't expecting to have such a personal conversation with Sammy. By talking about suicide and the negative side of firearms so quickly, were we entering the conversation at a depth we weren't prepared for?

7:33

## 8. TEACH PEOPLE, OR HEAR PEOPLE — SANTA MONICA AND UCLA

**JOSH JANSSEN** (8:46): Have you ever shot a gun?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (9:21): I mean, that's the journey we're going to be on. I'm really interested in getting every part of this conversation, so we can walk away and say we've made an honest film.

9:36

## 9. DUTCH MERRICK, HOLLYWOOD ARMOURER — LOS ANGELES

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (9:36): We want to talk to all different types of people from across the US, but before we hit the road and start filming, we want to have a base level of firearm safety knowledge. So we signed up for training with renowned Hollywood armorer Dutch Merrick.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (9:56): Josh.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (10:02): Yeah.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (10:27): The last time I did this, I had a panic attack. I had to do it at a first aid course.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (10:39): Experience with guns? No experience with guns. I'm from Australia. And I'm looking to come away with an understanding from a safety perspective, but also having some fun, too. Yeah. So safety and fun.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (10:57): Thank you.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (11:43): We'll see.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (11:55): Really?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (12:09): A bullet.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (12:17): Why are my thumbs so different?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (12:20): You're doing great, mate.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (12:40): So this is Russian roulette?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (12:46): Even though we're shooting blanks, it feels like the real thing. In the back of my mind, there's a comfort of being in the safe hands of Dutch. It's beginning to sink in that on the road, things won't be as controlled, and the risk will be real.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (13:10): Yeah, great.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (13:14): Awesome.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (13:47): Tommy, you good?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (13:49): Performing with Dutch was a lot of fun. It felt familiar to what we see in the movies, but at the same time detached from the reality of firearms in the real world.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:11): Yes, thank you so much.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:25): We'll get you the T-shirt.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:27): Thanks, guys.

14:28

## 10. IN-N-OUT, THEN AUTUMN — LOS ANGELES

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:31): I reckon this completely removes any jet lag left. Did you get Diet Coke as well?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:38): Uh-huh. Oh, that's good.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (14:46): I reckon I'm looking forward to having a reason to have conversations that normally I would just feel like I was being nosy. So because we have the cameras, I feel like maybe I don't feel so intrusive. Yeah.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:06): Come, come over. Do you want to be famous?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:09): We gotta talk. Talking about guns.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:18): Australia.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:22): Uh, not really.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (15:29): Tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of the Las Vegas country music festival mass shooting. Autumn, a mum, wife and history teacher who attended the festival, agreed to meet us before we head to Las Vegas for the memorial.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:42): Hi! How you going?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:46): I'm Josh.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (15:47): Lovely to meet you.

19:25

## 12. THE BARBERSHOP — LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

**JOSH JANSSEN** (19:31): Yeah, well, we were going to do a machine gun experience yesterday.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (19:36): But then we found out that it was the anniversary of the Route 91.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (19:43): And so it didn't feel right.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (20:35): All right, awesome.

20:40

## 13. FIRST LIVE ROUNDS, WITH MIKE SODINI — NEVADA DESERT

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (20:41): The argument that it's people, not guns, that kill sort of makes sense. But should every person have the right to own a firearm? Michael Sodini, a Nevada local, grew up in the firearm business.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (20:58): Geez, they drive quick.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (20:59): He heard about our documentary and invited us to shoot in the desert with him.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (21:10): Good.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (21:12): Yes.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (21:15): It'll be the first time Tommy and I fire live ammunition.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (21:23): Michael founded a not-for-profit called Walk the Talk, specifically designed to address mental health and gun ownership.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (22:06): Jesus Christ. I guess that's going to happen a lot.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (22:12): We're going to stop jumping at some point.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (22:27): Oh, wow, it's got a microphone. Hello, testing, one, two, one, two. Hello. And you turn that off when we shoot?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (22:39): Oh, I love that. It sounds like we're—

**JOSH JANSSEN** (22:42): Stepping on Doritos. He's yelling.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (23:04): Um, yep.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (23:17): Yes. Okay, what's "rack it"?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (23:47): Can we go check?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (23:50): Yeah.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (23:51): I mean, here we go.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (24:04): I feel a lot more in control when I've got it.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (24:36): Geez!

**JOSH JANSSEN** (24:42): And so the mental health stuff, Mike, how did you get into that?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (25:50): Thanks for sharing.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (26:21): Yeah, great, you can do that.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (26:33): Whoa!

**JOSH JANSSEN** (26:47): What does the Second Amendment mean to you?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (27:51): As a firearms importer, Michael has a lot to gain from people buying guns. And as a filmmaker, I was skeptical that tackling mental health was simply a commercially driven endeavor. But as we spent more time with him, we felt a sincerity to his work. He is leaning into uncomfortable conversations, and wanting to see less harm caused from the guns his family sells. We left our time with Michael conflicted. On the one hand, we had a lot of fun, but there was no doubting that in the wrong hands, with the wrong intentions, real harm can be done.

29:15

## 15. GINA AND RAY AT THE GUN SHOP — ST GEORGE, UTAH

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (29:15): To understand why people buy guns, we decided to visit a gun shop on the border of Utah and Nevada. When we walked in, we didn't expect to see Gina at the counter.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (29:52): When did you fire your first gun?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (29:57): It was striking to see someone decide to buy their first gun later in life. We were curious: why now?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (31:26): There was something endearing about Ray, even the way he told his story. But there was no doubt that what he was saying was actually frightening.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (31:37): No.

32:28

## 16. MYCHAEL WALLER: THREE TIMES — NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (32:43): Many people talk about the importance of owning a firearm for their own personal safety. So we're on our way to Tennessee to meet with Mychael, someone who has become a poster boy for the Second Amendment after killing three people in self-defense.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (33:13): I wonder if there's any regret.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (33:15): Once you shoot someone, there's no going back.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (33:22): Mychael was gracious enough to agree to meet us. We suggested we could go clay shooting to hear more about his story.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (33:29): Okay.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (33:31): I reckon Mychael can go first. You can do the honors.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (34:30): In a self-defense circumstance, do you ever, like, aim at the legs, or just try and disable them, rather than killing?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (34:59): In those situations, what was the environment?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (35:55): And how did you sort of deal with the weeks and months after, especially with your son being around?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (37:10): Yep.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (37:11): Cool.

37:46

## 17. DRAGONLAND — COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (37:46): There are many different reasons why people own firearms.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (37:50): Shooting range, next left.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (37:52): But for the most armed man in America, Mel Bernstein, aka Dragon Man, raises the question: can one individual own too many guns?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (38:03): Is that his shooting range? His shooting range, do we think?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (38:12): Yeah! Now what's more fun than that?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (38:34): Do you like doing paperwork?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (38:52): Amazing. Yeah. Is it sort of like black belt of the gun world?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (38:58): When you were talking, I was thinking about the Second Amendment.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (39:02): How important is that?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (39:27): Off camera, we noticed Dragon Man's daughter Melissa getting frustrated with some of our questions.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (39:45): What's the biggest risk for you, do you think?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:01): How often do you think about your mum?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (42:16): Dragon Man and his daughter Melissa didn't need to open their doors to our cameras, but they did. Beyond the character of Dragon Man, we did get to see a side that is Mel Bernstein: that's kind, that's generous, and just so happens to have an obsession with guns.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:33): Thank you so much for being so generous.

42:42

## 18. THE SHERIFF IN THE DINER — WACO, TEXAS

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:47): What have you thought of Texas so far?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:53): Yes.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:57): What do you mean?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (42:59): Yeah.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (43:05): You see?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (43:15): Maybe he's a sheriff.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (43:21): Yeah, I think so. Too much?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (43:46): Um, and so you're dealing with civilians with guns. Does that complicate what you have to do? How do you stay safe?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (44:18): I love it. That's great.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (44:31): Well, this escalated quickly, didn't it?

44:33

## 19. TWIN TOMMY GUNS, AND A LIVE ROUND — WACO, TEXAS

**JOSH JANSSEN** (44:34): I can't believe we're doing this.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (44:51): Look at you.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (44:56): Do you take it out to the range?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (45:56): Anyway, so I've heard there's a hog problem, and we're thinking about going hog hunting out of a helicopter. What do you think?

46:46

## 20. HOGS FROM A HELICOPTER — TEXAS

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (46:46): When we started on this journey, we wanted to challenge our own preconceived ideas and beliefs. Hunting is a big part of American culture, but we've never killed an animal before.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (46:56): Good morning.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (46:58): Yeah. What do we need to just keep in mind?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (47:23): Okay, great.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (47:24): All right. With that being said, we're scared shitless, and we're being entrusted to shoot pigs out of a moving helicopter.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (47:35): Yeah, I can.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (48:44): Sorry, I'll take off safety.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (48:47): Okay.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (48:52): Yep.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (48:55): Yep.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (49:06): All right, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Three, two, one. Hell yeah!

**JOSH JANSSEN** (49:31): Starting to feel a little motion sick. It's amazing you're able to text and fly at the same time. I always thought that helicopters naturally want to tip over.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (49:52): What do you love most about America?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (50:34): Nice shot!

**JOSH JANSSEN** (50:51): Got it.

50:50

## 21. ARE WE BECOMING DESENSITISED? — TEXAS

**JOSH JANSSEN** (50:54): Do you feel like we've become desensitized to the guns?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (51:12): Think about when we started, and we were, like, worried about where the crew was. And I think about everyone that we've spoken to, I've completely trusted. We're assuming that they have our best interests at heart, that they're thinking about the safety element.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (51:29): We said at the start, "Oh, we don't really want to make a documentary that's filled with politics." Are we slowly becoming influenced to play into that exact narrative?

51:55

## 22. EVERY CORNER HAS A MURDERER — BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA; WASHINGTON, DC; THE TEXAS BORDER

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (51:55): Everywhere we look, we see guns. Since being on this road trip, our social media algorithms have morphed into everyday carry videos, body cam footage and self-defense tips.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (53:14): What about for self-defense?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (53:24): It's a choice she made.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (53:39): Right where we are now is really where Trump was. Over there, that was where the shooter was?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (53:45): It seems very close.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (53:59): Do you own a gun?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (54:13): Do you feel safer with your gun?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (54:39): I remember when I first came to the US, and I went and saw a movie at the cinema, and as I sat down, I straight away looked for my exit, which I'd never do in Australia. But I was thinking about the news, and around mass shootings. When you go to a place like this, were guns on your mind?

55:08

## 23. HALLOWEEN WITH FAMILY — CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (55:08): For the last month, all we've been talking about is guns, and we need time to collect our thoughts. With Halloween preparations underway, it's a good time for us and the crew to pause. My older brother James moved to the US for college and ended up marrying an American. They now live in North Carolina with my niece and nephew.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (55:36): Were people dressed up at school today?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (55:38): It's the first time Tommy and I are carving pumpkins. It feels about as American as shooting guns for the first time.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (55:48): And I also need help with my pumpkin, too.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (55:51): I'm not sure if Americans feel this way, but whenever we do this sort of thing, we feel like we're in a movie.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (55:58): That looks cool. Yeah, and so now I'll cut it out. It's fun. Yeah, you spent more time on yours.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (56:09): Down here is really nice.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (56:27): Love you.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (56:33): Let's go this way.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (56:36): This suburban bubble feels disconnected from everything we've been exploring, but we can't shake our experience in conversations. It had me reflecting on the world my niece and nephew are growing up in.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (56:48): Do you have a gun?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (56:55): What sort of gun have you got?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (57:11): How does the American gun culture impact children? And what does the future of gun culture look like for the average American child?

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (57:35): In the well-needed downtime, Tommy and I were asking these questions, and doing our own research.

57:45

## 24. KIDS TO KINGS — ATLANTA, GEORGIA

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (57:49): We'd heard about a program just outside Atlanta, Georgia, not far from North Carolina, called Kids to Kings. They happen to use firearms as part of their practice to empower young boys.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (58:00): And so is this gun loaded right now?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (58:52): We saw a video on Instagram of some kids shooting, and now we're speaking to you. Can you tell us the connection there?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (59:25): How you going? I'm Josh.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (59:27): Kevin, nice to meet you.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:02:12): What would you like to do when you grow up?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:02:18): Yeah. Nice.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:02:19): What makes you want to be a SWAT officer?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:03:07): Can relate to that.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:03:40): When we started on this journey, we wanted to remain as neutral as possible.

1:03:45

## 25. MOON PIES — ALABAMA

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:03:46): There is enough polarising media that we didn't want to add to the noise.

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:03:53): But it's hard to not question whether America can improve their relationship to guns.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:03:57): Have you had a Moon Pie before?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:00): We'll share one.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:04): Why not have both?

1:04:07

## 26. THE AMMUNITION VENDING MACHINE — PELL CITY, ALABAMA

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:10): Oh, yeah.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:16): Boom, boom, boom.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:21): Okay, great.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:34): Add to cart.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:46): Oh, amazing. Have you ever been to Australia?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:04:58): Thank you. Bye.

1:05:00

## 27. A SAFE PLACE WITHIN THE SAFE PLACE — ALABAMA

**JOSH JANSSEN (V.O.)** (1:05:01): Is there a future that can see Americans safer, while honoring the freedom of gun owners and the Second Amendment? Outside of the obvious conversations we hear about gun control, what measures were actually being taken to keep people safe? A local entrepreneur in Alabama had invented a solution to help kids be safe in classrooms.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:08:49): Really appreciate it.

1:08:54

## 28. DRILLS, DATA AND THE CAPITAL — WASHINGTON, DC

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:09:49): Who are the people in the middle? Are there more Americans that are in the middle on this, when it comes to guns, or is there a clear divide?

1:10:47

## 29. WHAT A BULLET DOES — BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:11:48): There's two choices. One is that there is a positive future ahead, one that has hope. Or there's the second choice, which there is no hope.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:12:00): I just don't know how productive it is to assume that nothing can change.

1:13:01

## 31. A SHOOTING ON THEIR STREET — WASHINGTON, DC

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:13:05): Unbelievable, dude.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:13:13): We're an Australian documentary crew. We're staying just there. And so the fact that there's literally been a shooting out the front of our place is pretty mind-blowing to us.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:13:52): Do you feel surprised by this?

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:13:59): The more time you spend in the US, the higher chance, I guess, of that you are directly impacted.

**JOSH JANSSEN** (1:14:08): Or that it happens on your street.

Every line as spoken in the film, from the full transcript. Times are from the picture-locked cut; children’s names are withheld. Quotation with attribution is welcome. Spotted a mistake? hello@ingunswetrustfilm.com