I don't like recurves for most of what I use my knives for, however I can see the added functionality they offer and the compromise from what I've observed using them. As some others noted, the way they offer more belly just behind the tip, and then plunge back allows the same amount of cutting engagement but with a more natural offset angle between your wrist and the material. So if you were holding the blade at 45 degrees to a piece of cardboard to draw cut through it, you could hold it at a more shallow 20-30 degree offset and not have to angle your wrist up as much. It also helps when plunge cutting thick material like meat, Styrofoam, upholstery foam, etc because there's this huge belly cutting very deep with the wrist at a more natural offset.
I don't really hate recurves, but I definitely don't like them for EDC. For specialty chores it's nice to have one, but sharpening them to the standards I like my EDCs is usually a chore unless I just reprofile and get rid of the recurve. Otherwise using something like a coarse rod fixes up most of my specialty knives for what I need them... I have some that cut up Styrofoam and cardboard, and one in my kitchen for a steak knife.
I think it's impossible to deny that there's also a bit of stylizing going on too. I mean, all the function that the recurve offers, so does my drop-point Izula simply because of the blade-to-handle offset.