Joanna (The Commuter)

"What if I asked you to do something that could profoundly affect an individual on this train?"

- Joanna

Joanna is the main antagonist from the 2018 thriller, The Commuter.

She is played by Vera Farmiga.

Joanna was partially shown following Michael MacCauley (the film's protagonist) on a commuter train; with her presence noted by Michael's friend and fellow rider, Walt. After Michael takes his seat, Joanna joins him and starts what appeared to be a friendly conversation, which later turned into Joanna giving a "hypothetical" scenario. She stated that someone on the train doesn't belong and is headed to Cold Spring, and also revealed that $25,000 was waiting for Michael in one of the washrooms, with a $75,000 bonus if he finds the person. The person, as Joanna described, went by the name Prynne and was carrying a bag, but wouldn't say what was in it. Joanna later leaves the train, but not before revealing her knowledge of Michael's past as a former cop.

Michael finds the $25K in the washroom, proof that Joanna's scenario was literal, and things took a sinister turn when a young woman appeared and handed Michael an envelope, which was revealed to contain a wedding ring belonging to his wife, Karen. After failed attempts to call Karen, as well as his friend and former NYPD partner, Alex Murphy, Michael is contacted by Joanna, who threatened to harm his family if he didn't find Prynne. Realizing the danger he's in, Michael gave Walt a message to call police, but later on, Joanna contacted Michael again and revealed that she had been watching his every move, and that he "broke the rules" by attempting to call police. She later had someone working for her push Walt into a moving bus, which killed him instantly, and then ordered Michael to place a tracker on Prynne. Michael placed it on a man he believed to be Prynne, only to find the man, named Dylan and an undercover cop, murdered--as he wasn't Prynne.

Joanna informed Michael that police were called due to a reported disturbance on the train, while also stating that Prynne is a witness to a conspiracy, and that she works for people who would do anything to silence her. By the film's climax, Michael found Prynne, who was a young woman named Sofia. Sofia stated that she witnessed a pair of men killing city planner Enrique Mendez, who was also Sofia's cousin. She couldn't call police because it was policemen who killed Enrique, who also had evidence of corruption among police and other city employees, which Sofia took. Joanna called Michael again and demanded that he kill Prynne, only for Michael to refuse. The callous villainess blasted Michael for (in her mind) ignoring his family's safety to protect Prynne, and now stated that everyone on the train would have to die. Michael and Sam (a conductor) unhinged the carriage from the rest of the train, saving Michael and the others, but killing Sam (as he was on another carriage that crashed). The passengers were fully saved after Michael fought off and killed Murphy, who was revealed as one of the cops who killed Enrique.

Michael was informed that Joanna's whereabouts were unknown, but at the end of the film, Michael found Joanna on a train to Chicago. Joanna claimed not to know him, but Michael uncovered that Joanna was the true mastermind and that she was using Murphy as a pawn as part of her scheme, while also revealing that he's back on the NYPD. The film ends with the implication that Michael took Joanna to custody.